Indian cricket board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya spoke to Virender Sehwag to console him for the decision to drop him from the playing XI of the Mohali Test as quid pro quo to resolve the crisis with the International Cricket Council (ICC). The BCCI chief asked Sehwag to proceed to Mohali with the team and practice with them. "I told him that we are not going to remove him from the team, but an additional player will be added for the Mohali Test," Dalmiya said.
Dalmiya called up the dashing batsman late on Friday night and had a 15- minute talk explaining to him the circumstances leading to his exclusion from the Mohali Test. "I had a detailed telephonic covnersation with Sehwag on Friday night and explained to him everything and I felt the boy understood the problem and appears to be alright", Dalmiya said.
He told Sehwag that for "all practical purposes, he will be part of the team against England".
"I told him that he must be feeling bad about the decision, but it was taken to save cricket and he (Sehwag) appears to have taken the decision sportingly and said he is solidly behind the board", Dalmiya said.
Bureau Report