Lack of application has been a problem: Chigumbura

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Bulawayo: His batting is the lone positive for Zimbabwe in what has been a thoroughly disappointing ODI series against India and all-rounder Elton Chigumbura feels the lack of application on part of the batsmen has played a part in his side's dismal outing.The allrounder, who was unbeaten on 50 as Zimbabwe disintegrated in the fourth ODI, is their leading run-scorer in the series with 142 runs."The guys are working hard, but I think it's just a matter of being smart when we start our innings, especially our first 10 overs when we're losing two to three early wickets. Besides working hard, I think the guys just need to may be take a little bit of time at the wicket. It all comes together when you stay out there," Chigumbura said.After three defeats in Harare, Zimbabwe were expected to perform better on the batsmen-friendly wicket at the Queens Sports Club here, but that was not the case as the hosts collapsed to be all out for 144."It was a good wicket to bat on. We all know when we play at Queens, it's always a batter's wicket and if you apply yourself then you can make runs. Lack of application has been the problem for the last three games. Losing early wickets, it's hard to come back, especially if you then keep losing wickets."Some of the batters are now coming in at different times that they are not used to. If we can have no early wickets, then the rest of the batters will end up batting in their natural position," he said.Srinivasan was apparently unhappy with this possibility but after consultation with his legal team arrived at a conclusion that it's better to call off the meeting.The other "major technical flaw" regarding this meeting was not having the word emergency mentioned when the working committee members were summoned for the meeting."The meeting itself is technically invalid as one needed to mention the word emergency if one calls for a working committee meeting 72 hours within the last meeting," said a BCCI official.No official word has still come from the BCCI about the day's developments.The IPL spot-fixing scandal broke out when India pacer S Sreesanth, along with two other Rajasthan Royals players Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan and 11 bookies, was arrested for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL.The contracts of the tainted players were terminated by their franchise, which also lodged a criminal complaint against them.It snowballed into a crisis for the BCCI when Board Srinivasan's son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Meiyappan was arrested on charges of betting on May 26.A internal probe panel, originally comprising two retired judges and the then BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale, was constituted on May 28 to investigate the allegations against Meiyappan, who maintained his innocence after getting bail.Srinivasan, who owns the CSK franchise, remained defiant through the turmoil and refused to resign but had to step aside as BCCI President after a stormy emergent Board meeting on June 2 where Dalmiya took charge of an interim arrangement to run the Board's affairs pending the inquiry.The upheaval led to the resignations of Board Secretary Sanjay Jagdale and Treasurer Ajay Shirke, who asked for Srinivasan's resignation on moral grounds.