New DelHi: The Cricket Board today dismissed as "baseless" former Indian player Vinod Kambli's charge that he was a victim of racial discrimination on selection matters.
Kambli, a failed cricketer who began with much promise but fizzled out after innumerable comebacks, is reported to have made these allegations against the BCCI in a TV reality show where he also spoke against his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar for not helping him enough.
"It is completely a baseless and uncalled for charge.
BCCI does not believe in getting into all this. In fact, BCCI is one body which is fighting against racism at the international level," BCCI's Finance and Media Committee Chairman Rajiv Shukla said.
Shukla said also selectors always took performance-based decisions while choosing the national team.
"It was purely performance-based decision. Selectors take only performance-based decisions and the same yardstick was used for Kambli," he said.
On Kambli's remarks on Tendulkar, Shukla defended the batting maestro, saying he always helped his teammates.
"Tendulkar is one man who has always been helping all the players, even the juniors. This charge cannot be subscribed against Tendulkar," Shukla added.
In the TV reality show, the 37-year-old Kambli is reported to have said that Tendulkar did not help him when he was on decline. "We are very close... We were very close. He could have done a little more, but he didn't," Kambli is quoted as saying by a newspaper.
About BCCI, Kambli said "I always felt discriminated because of my cast and colour by the Cricket Board."
Despite repeated attempts, Kambli could not be reached for his comments but one of his associates said that the former player will address the press later in the day.
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