Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The Big Fight and Uproar

There is a big tug-of- war between the BCCI and ICL these days. The formation of the ICL is really a shock to the monopoly of the BCCI in India; which has been the greatest dictator in the Indian cricket. ICL is not going down so well with the BCCI. Though BCCI is a completely private body (technically), still it has been using our national flag and the term “Team India”: OK!! It has been representating Indian cricket for so many decades, but it does not mean that it is going to ban the cricketers who are going to play cricket for any other body. Being the richest board in the world it has been doing nothing for the development of the cricket in the grass root level, which is substantial. One can be sure that Indian cricket is standing exactly where it was before 25 years. By being hunted about the fear of exposure the board is not setting its own website. The board is getting 1395 million dollars in a year out of media rights and Ads but from that amount even 25% has not been spent on the developmental activities of Indian cricket. It has not been giving any extra amount of its own profit to the players. On the other hand it is imposing the gag order over the players. It does not give permission or recognition to players association. Even it is not accountable to the government of India. Now it is attracting the ICL contracted players by giving a pay hike and also applying different tactics such as: offering the captaincy of their state side. BCCI is also planning a counter league with the help of CRICKET AUSTRALIA. BCCI has already sacked the world cup-winning captain of India from the post of chairman of NCA, and even planning to put Sunil Gavaskar against him as the executive board of professional cricket league. This is all about dirty and murky politics going all over.

On the other side of this story ICL has filed a petition against the BCCI in the Delhi high court, in which the first round has been already won by ICL. In this war between the two bodies of cricket the players are going to be benefited; because they will have some choice and also they will be forming a strong players association once again. Kerry packer of AUS, Stanford of West Indies and Subash Chandra of India are the three different individuals who have different intentions also. One thing for sure that the cricket is a business for both BCCI and ICL, but they are pretending that they are developing cricket in the country. In this war of power and money, we should not forget that cricket is going to suffer a lot. Let us hope that cricket is not going to be compromised for the sake of money in the coming days.

Recently Lalu Jadav has been arguing for ICL and always telling that why BCC and its board officials are so worried about the ICL. Having said that he has also suggested that BCCI should take it as a challenge. But ironically enough Lalu’s own son has not joined the ICL. But Lalu was very recently offering railway grounds to the ICL.

Despite its tall talk, BCCI has not cared so much to nurture talent. It is only giving importance to those players who are in the limelight. Except those players there are so many budding talents in the remote areas in the country. But our five wise men have no time to go there and point out those talents. In India politicians run almost every state association who has no basic knowledge about cricket. Popular voice says that the ICL is the best thing happened to Indian cricket. It will induct a kind of competitive and sportive medicine in the mindset of the BCCI. The spirit of outshining each other will be very much there. Now each and every move of the BCCI will be under the scanner. We hope that some good will happen to cricket at last.

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