Pawar showed the finesse of a crafty politician

Memonics

After the protracted madness, some method at last! It must be said that there has been some deft damage control by the BCCI vis-à-vis Dilip Vengsarkar, and thereafter also by the chairman of the selection committee himself vis-à-vis choosing the team for Australia.

Sharad Pawar’s decision to meet Vengsarkar and try and resolve his grievances may have been delayed, but revealed all the finesse of a crafty and seasoned politician. Pawar timed the meeting perfectly; it had to be after the selection committee met in Bangalore. The chief selector now simply had to chair the meeting if he was not to appear churlish.

That gives both sides a breather, time to reconsider and redefine their positions, aim to keep the sanctity of the chief selector’s post as well as that of the BCCI intact. The last has not been heard on the issue of Vengsarkar writing columns for newspapers, but one hopes that this time it is sorted out to everyone’s satisfaction — and for posterity too.

My take is that it is unethical for a selector to comment on current matches and form of players because that can easily be misconstrued within the dressing room itself. If Vengsarkar is writing general stuff about cricket, it is harmless, though I doubt whether he will get paid too much for this.

But I am still flummoxed why the BCCI should have woken up so late in the day to curb Vengsarkar’s literary pursuits. If the guidelines were specific and then violated, the chief selector deserved instant reprimand; by keeping mum for a year, the BCCI compounded the felony.

Moreover, the issue of compensation for a selector who might lose his regular earnings cannot be so easily dismissed. Indeed, it is vexing. Can the BCCI agree to compensate only Vengsarkar and not offend the other selectors? Surely they can also claim loss of income for one reason or another.

Frankly, in this day and age, it is silly to expect people to associate with the BCCI only with altruistic motives. Compensation for selectors has more than just hypothetical value; and respecting the selection committee’s freedom to choose players is surely mandatory. Of course, why the selection committee should still comprise five members and be constituted on a zonal basis is an old story which demands a new twist which, alas, has been ignored in the recent melee.

Meanwhile, with India’s fast bowlers falling like nine pins for reasons of fitness and form, the composition of the team to Australia has gotten terribly muddled. It’s a daunting task to choose a team which will match up to the world champions, so Vengsarkar and Co have their task cut out.

Sharad Pawar will be the first to admit that he doesn’t have much expertise to help in this matter.