Vengsarkar bats for Tendulkar

The show-cause notice issued to Sachin Tendulkar by the Board of Control for Cricket in India was discussed at the managing committee meeting of the Mumbai Cricket Association on Friday evening with its vice president and national selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar supporting the master batsman's cause.

"Vengsarkar was vociferous in his support of Tendulkar," said a managing committee member who attended the meeting.

"The issue came up and I was asked about details of what happened at the board's Working Committee meeting. I was asked why I did not back Sachin and I told them that it was the unanimous decision of the board to seek an explanation from Tendulkar," MCA's joint secretary Lalchand Rajput told PTI.

"I also told them that the board has only asked for an explanation and not sent a show cause to Sachin," the former Test opener and erstwhile teammate of Vengsarkar in the Mumbai and India squad said.

Vengsarkar also wanted to send a letter to the board showing its dissent on the matter but the demand was rejected by others, it is learnt.

Incidentally both MCA and BCCI are headed by Sharad Pawar, who did not chair the managing committee meeting, which was presided over by vice president Ravi Savant on Friday.

Meanwhile, sources close to Tendulkar today said that the champion batsman will send his reply today to the explanation sought by the board on his tirade against former coach Greg Chappell in the media.