Aus at RCA: Frazer backs Modi

Former Team India bio-mechanist Ian Frazer has supported Lalit Modi's decision to let the Australian team to practice at the Rajasthan Cricket Academy in Jaipur.

Under attack from BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty, Modi, president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association and a BCCI vice-president, had defended his decision to provide RCA's state-of-the-art facilities including at least 10 different pitches on the asking of Future Cricket Academy chief consultant Greg Chappell.

Frazer, Coaching Director of the Academy and deputy to Chappell, agreed with Modi's reasoning that the Australians will also not hesitate in providing top class facilities to Indian team in future if approached.

"Absolutely, I agree with him (Modi). I don't see anything wrong in this. Next time when India tour Down Under they should ask the Australians to provide top class facilities and the Australians would happily reciprocate the gesture. What stops India from doing that," Frazer told reporters in Jaipur on the sidelines of Australian team practice session.

"It was a smart move by the Australians to have a camp here to acclimatise to Indian conditions and I think RCA must be proud to have offered the great facilities here," he added.

Frazer was also in agreement with Modi's another reasoning that his state's players would benefit from bowling to the Aussie batsmen.

"Think of Pankaj Singh (who was in India squad for the Down Under series early this year) who got to bowl to Ponting and Matthew Hayden. Think of other players who bowled against a top side in the world," he said.

The Australian who was comrade-in-arms with Chappell during the latter's controversial two-year tenure as India coach, was furious when asked about reports of him assisting the Australian players during practice sessions.

"I am involved only with RCA and nothing else at the moment. I am helping the Future Cricket Academy, I am doing my bit for the good of Indian cricket," he fumed.

"I had not assisted them (the Australians) nor assisted Tim Nielsen or anybody. I played first class cricket with Nielsen. I had a chat with him and what is wrong in that. The visiting team was doing their job and I was doing mine," he shot back.

Frazer was seen in tow with Chappell during the Australian team practice session on Thursday, talking to the former India coach.

On Friday also he was with Chappell for a while but spent more time with the RCA team players ahead of the two-day practice game starting tomorrow at Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

Frazer also found nothing wrong on Chappell helping the Aussies with his understanding of the Indian conditions and Indian players he had acquired during his two-year stint with BCCI.

"He will be doing the same job with the Australians what he was earlier doing for India. He was India coach then, now he is Australian assistant coach. Naturally he would want the Australians to win this time.

"He (Chappell) is a great player and has contributed immensely for Australia and for other countries including India. It is the way of the modern world. I had coached in Australia and now coaching at RCA. The aim is to groom youngsters anywhere in the world.

"Lots of Indians had benefited from county stints in England. Anybody an benefit from any great facility from anywhere in the world," he reasoned.

Frazer also rubbished reports in a section of the media that former India computer analyst Subramanian Ramakrishnan had come at the academy to assist the Australian team.

"That was baseless. Ramki came here to see the functioning of the machine which records the net sessions and which he had helped installed here during the Champions Trophy in India. He had nothing to do with the Australian team," he said.


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