What Outlook Said

In November 1997, Outlook carried a piece on the antics of two national selectors: Shivlal Yadav and Sambaran Banerjee. We had written about allegations of "bribe-taking, politicking and dubious media-savvy" swirling around the duo.

Bribe-taking? Nayan Mongia had alleged that he had been dropped from the Indian team because he had refused to pay Rs 2 lakh to a selector. Politicking? In spite of repeated smears, they retained their posts.

Dubious media-savvy? A Bengali scribe close to Banerjee published the Indian team for the Asia Cup in his paper a day before it was announced officially.

Banerjee is no longer a selector, but Yadav, who could be the man Vanka Pratap is accusing of selling India team slots, is touring Australia with the Indian team as manager. In January 1998, Outlook named the selection committee as one of "the villains of 1997".