Eden Gardens’ curator Prabir Mukherjee who criticized Indian captain MS Dhoni for demanding rank-turners was persuaded by Cricket Association of Bengal president Jagmohan Dalmiya to not go on medical leave, says a report in The Indian Express.
“Last week the Board of Control for Cricket in India had asked its East Zone pitch curator Ashish Bhowmick to supervise the preparation of the wicket at the historic venue after Mukherjee had made it clear that he was not prepared to alter the nature of the wicket at the risk of it becoming under-prepared,” says the report.
Mukherjee wrote a letter to Dalmiya informing that he would be staying away from Eden Gardens for a month on “health grounds”.
“I have been made a villain for doing my job properly. I am and will always remain committed to cricket, not to any individual. What Dhoni has been asking for is anti-cricket. It is immoral and unethical. Never in my life have I doctored a cricket pitch. My health suffers due to this controversy and I have decided to stay away from Eden Gardens for a month,” Mukherjee said.
Meanwhile, The Times of India reports that Eden Gardens curator Prabir Mukherjee lashed out at MS Dhoni's demand for a rank turner for the third Test.
"Dhoni has asked for a square turner. This is immoral because you (organisers) are selling tickets for a five-day Test. On a square turner, there's every chance of a match ending in three days. Why rob people of two days' play? It's immoral and illogical to tamper with the pitch. I've not done it in my life," Mukherjee said.
Mukherjee added, “If he asks for the moon, is it possible to give him that? The players are contracted to the BCCI and get paid handsomely to play good cricket. Their contracts don't stipulate that they would get this (turners). Climatic conditions vary from state to state. What you get in Mumbai, you won't get in Kolkata because the conditions and soil content are different."