No benefit for those with outside links

No benefit for those with outside links
S. SANTHANAM

NEW DELHI, APRIL 12: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has withdrawn permission to all those former Test cricketers who were scheduled to hold their benefit matches later this month in which foreign players were to participate.

Yashpal Sharma, whose benefit match is scheduled to be held at the floodlit Nehru Stadium in the Capital on April 26 has, however, been given the go ahead by the BCCI as he has not invited any foreign players for his benefit tie. Only some former and present Indian players are scheduled to participate in his match.

In letters sent to the beneficiaries, BCCI secretary J Y Lele has said: ``Due to unavoidable circumstances, permission to hold your benefit matches have been withdrawn for the time being. The inconvenience thus caused is regretted.''

The BCCI's latest directive comes in the wake of former South African skipper Hansie Cronje's admission to receiving money from an Indian bookie and the subsequent decision of the South African Board to suspend him. Several South African players were scheduled to participate in the benefit matches for some former India players including Gursharan Singh and Inderjit Singh at Mohali, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Yashpal Sharma, who shifted his benefit match from Mohali (scheduled earlier) to New Delhi as he didn't want his game to be clubbed with two other matches at the same venue, is hopeful of getting a main sponsor for his game.