Indian Cricketer Suresh Raina’s comment on Maharashtra coach Dermot Reeve in which he accused him of adopting negative tactics during Maharashtra’s Ranji Trophy opener against Uttar Pradesh have drawn comments from the Englishman.
"I would like to thank Suresh Raina for his concerns on my role as Maharashtra coach. I am actually MCA cricket director and facilitator. I give players advice and they coach themselves. My advice is honest and in the best interest of players’ development," The Indian Express was quoted Reeve as saying.
Raina had slammed Reeve for what he perceived as negative tactics in relation to Maharashtra’s declaration after batting for two days and putting up a mammoth 764 runs on a pitch which offered no appreciable bounce, movement and turn. Raina had said that Reeve being a foreigner should offer positive advice to players.
"Batting for two-and-a-half days is not something that he should be teaching them. We can also bat the same way but that’s not something we will do because we believe in improving our cricket," Raina had said.
In the statement Reeve also said, "I do not consider myself a foreigner. I expect players to treat me as an equal and not as an outsider. I work with my players on dealing with fear and relishing challenges," the report further quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, a report in The Hindu says that paceman Ishant Sharma on Tuesday skipped the practice session due to viral fever, but the team management expects him to be fit for the opening cricket Test against England starting Thursday.
As a precautionary measure, Bengal paceman Ashoke Dinda — who is with his Ranji side — has been asked to join the team as a standby.
The Indian team, except Sharma, sweated it out at the Motera Stadium on Tuesday morning. BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale said they are hopeful that the lanky paceman will recover before the start of the series-opener here.