LOS ANGELES, SEPT 15: Ten years ago Dilip Vengsarkar and his players were put in the dog house by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for playing a cricket match in the United States on their way back home from a disastrous tour of the West Indies. How ironic then that the same Board has now sent the India A team to play in a five-match Moov America Challenge Cup series against an Australia A team starting here at Los Angeles on Wednesday.On Saturday, during the flight from India, team manager Krishnamachari Srikkanth remarked how he broke his forearm while batting in the West Indies and hence missed the Vengsarkar-initiated rebel cricket match, and the subsequent Board action on the players!The immigration officials at LA International airport were bamboozled at so many passengers declaring they had come ``for cricket''. The customs took one look at the numerous cricket ``coffins'' and other cricket gear and told Srikkanth that in future he needed a re-export certificate to bring ``so muchsporting gear into the US!''This apart, a number of locals of sub-continental, Caribbean, British and Australian origin are actually looking forward to the series. The organisers, the Southern California Cricket Association, said they expected close to 10,000 paying spectators to watch the matches.``If things work out well we could make this another Sharjah,'' said Dr Atul Rai, the newly elected secretary of the USA Cricket Association. ``In LA alone we have four exclusive grounds. The game is also played extensively in the New York and Florida area. We have more than 600 league teams. Rajesh Chauhan and Noel David turn out as professionals in the LA league,'' he said.Australian coach Allan Border, who was thrilled to be in this part of the world ``to promote cricket'' believed his young team would excel. Not to be left behind, Srikkanth said his team was on a learning mission, but would offer stiff competition.
