Sandeep Sarkar, Kolkata: Has there ever been such a controversy in the history of CAB, the governing body of Bengali cricket?

Allegedly, legendary cricketer Pankaj Roy’s birthday was celebrated at Eden Gardens on May 31 with stale flowers. He was not invited to celebrate his father’s birthday, said Pranab Roy himself. Who played for India. Former captain of the Bengal cricket team. That news was first written by ABP Live Bangla. There was an uproar in the field. Several CAB officials admitted that they had forgotten to invite Pranab Roy.

However, CAB president Sourav Gangopadhyay made a double statement that night, surprising everyone. Dismissing the allegations, he claimed that Pranab Roy was invited. Besides, Sourav claimed that the news of celebrating Pankaj Roy’s birthday with stale flowers is baseless. The CAB statement read, ‘This report is completely false. Trying to mislead people. Legends are honored in CAB with fresh flowers.

However, a few trusted sources in CAB still made a clear claim that the flowers that celebrated late cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya’s birth anniversary on May 30, were the same stale flowers that were used to celebrate Pankaj Roy’s birth anniversary the next day. There was even a sensational allegation that Pankaj Roy was paid tribute to Jagmohan Dalmiya’s portrait with the same garland.

Pranab Roy sent a letter to secretary Bablu Kole asking for 24-hour CCTV footage, adding to CAB’s discomfort. The copy of the letter is in the hands of ABP Live Bangla. Pranav argues that the truth will be known only if the CCTV footage is released. The former captain of Bengal is asking for CAB’s action in this regard.

In an e-mail sent to CAB on Tuesday, Pranab Roy wrote, ‘There is a practice that stale flowers were used to celebrate the birth anniversary of my late father Pankaj Roy on May 31. It is important to look into what actually happened to dispel misconceptions about this. Where my father’s birthday was celebrated, the area of ​​the club house is covered by CCTV. I would be grateful if you could provide me the CCTV footage of the area and the corridor of the adjacent umpire’s committee room from May 30 to May 31 at 6 pm. I am sure that when the CCTV footage is released, the truth will emerge and the entire incident will be brought to an end in a transparent way.’

Pranab Roy told ABP Live Bangla very angrily, ‘Yes, I have given the letter. I am very upset to hear the allegations of using stale flowers in birthday celebrations of former Indian cricketer like Pankaj Roy. I have asked CAB for CCTV footage. I hope everything will be clear from that. What exactly happened will be known.’ He added, ‘I have not been invited by anyone from CAB. Later spoke to CAB Joint Secretary Madan Ghosh and Treasurer Sanjay Das. Besides apologizing over the phone, the CAB treasurer also messaged me expressing his regret. Still how did CAB make a statement that I have been invited? It was important to verify before making the statement.’