By CricketCountry Staff
Uttar Pradesh captain Suresh Raina has clarified that he gave a miss to their Ranji match against Orissa only after being granted permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take one-match rest ahead of India’s ODI series against West Indies.
Published: Nov 21, 2011, 01:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 21, 2011, 01:29 PM (IST)
Suresh Raina was dropped from India Test squad after a poor England tour © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Mumbai: Nov 21, 2011
Uttar Pradesh captain Suresh Raina has clarified that he gave a miss to their Ranji match against Orissa only after being granted permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The BCCI granted Raina to take one-match rest, as the all-rounder is likely to be selected for India’s ODI series against West Indies, which begins on November 30 in Cuttack.
UP and Orissa’s Ranji Trophy Elite (Group A) ended up in a draw at Sambalpur, while Raina was in Mumbai taking part in a promotional event.
When asked about skipping the Ranji match, Raina said, “I took permission from sir (probably referring to Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association president Rajiv Shukla). I wanted to celebrate my birthday. So, I got rest for one game. I will go to the NCA (National Cricket Academy) after this. I can join the Indian team at Cuttack for the ODI series.”
Also, a BCCI official confirmed that Raina was granted rest. “Yes, he captained in the first two matches for Uttar Pradesh but wanted to skip this game for personal reasons,” he was quoted by MiD DAY.
Raina was dropped from the India Test squad after a poor outing in England.
