9 players skip DDCA camp on Day 2

The Delhi Ranji team's training camp, being held in the backdrop of a looming players' revolt, continued to be hit by absentism with as many as nine players skipping the preparatory camp on the second day.

While seven players, including stars like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma, were among the absentees on the first day, two more players decided to stay away from the camp on Thursday.

Paceman Ashish Nehra and Vartik Tihara, son of DDCA's Sports Committee head Vinod Tihara, were the players who gave a miss to the camp on Thursday.

Others missing from the camp include Rajat Bhatia, Mithun Manhas and Chaitanya Anand.

After Virender Sehwag's outburst against "nepotism and corruption" in the DDCA, some senior players including prolific batsman Gambhir have also threatened to switch allegiance if their grievances were not addressed.

Selection Committee chairman and DDCA Vice President Chetan Chauhan insisted that unrest against the Sports Committee was not the reason for their absence and they were absent because of prior engagements.

"Some players have informed us about their engagements.

But see the positive things. The positive thing is that two people have already joined us. Some others will also join.

They all will join. I don't know why Nehra has not come.

usually he comes a little late," Chauhan told reporters.

Sehwag and Ishant are currently in Kochi for an ad-shoot while Bhatia is in England playing club cricket.

The players' revolt has received support from former players like Madan Lal and Bishan Singh Bedi, who represented Delhi in domestic cricket.

Sehwag, who has threatened to quit the Delhi team for Haryana, is likely to meet DDCA President Arun Jaitley on August 26 or 27 and officials said a resolution would be worked out.

Sehwag has alleged that the selection process in the Delhi team is manipulated by the all-powerful Sports Committee and has received support from other senior players like Gambhir, Ishant and Nehra on the issue.