Has Eden curator been sidelined?

Has Eden curator been sidelined?

The Eden Gardens wicket, where the second Test between India and England will be played, has been in focus after India’s abject loss in Mumbai. There have been calls for a slow turner in Kolkata such that the threat of England spinners, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann, is negated.

Reports emerged on Wednesday that Eden Garden’s chief curatorPrabir Mukherjee had been sidelined, following his differences with MS Dhoni. East Zone curator Ashish Bhowmick was summoned to the Eden Gardens.

Officials in the know have told this paper that Mukherjee hasn’t been marginalised; Bhowmick has been called to assist the veteran curator. Bhowmick, who hails from the Tripura Cricket Association (TCA), was scheduled to arrive Wednesday evening.

Mukherjee was quoted as saying, “He (Bhowmick) is my boss as he would be overseeing my work here.”

CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya said, “Mukherjee’s position hasn’t changed a bit. Bhowmick is from our zone and it’s almost customary for him to drop in before a Test match to discuss wicket-related issues with Mukherjee. Because India lost badly in Mumbai, people are trying to make issue out of something very ordinary,”

TCA secretary Arindam Ganguly told agencies, “He is going there as per BCCI’s instruction. But I’ve no idea whether he has replaced the local curator there (Prabir Mukherjee). I’m not aware of the details.”

CAB joint-secretary Sujan Mukherjee, however, said that Bhowmick’s visit was a “routine” inspection tour and maintained that the 83-year-old Mukherjee has not been replaced.

“It’s a routine visit to assess the pitch and conditions which happens every time before a match. Prabir Mukherjee remains the Eden curator,” Sujan Mukherjee said.

Senior BCCI official Rajiv Shukla refused to read too much into the matter. “All the curators work independently. No decisions are taken on the advice of anyone. The grounds and pitch committee of the BCCI took the decision in this matter,” Shukla said.

Mukherjee, a forthright man, has in the past criticised MS Dhoni for his demands on pitches. This time, too, he reportedly had a difference of opinion with the Indian skipper on the nature of track to be prepared for

the Eden Test. Both Dhoni and Mukherjee are known for 
their strong views. During England’s last appearance in Kolkata, Dhoni called the Eden strip ugly.