My conscience is clear: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri, under fire for
‘jingoistic’ commentary and contract with the BCCI, tells DNA that he would
not have been accepted by a billion viewers if he was not credible.
Excerpts:

You claim to be independent in your opinions but don’t you think you should appear to be independent as well?
We are professionals with enough background on television. We go out there and do a job. Even if I’m signed with the BCCI, I don’t say what I don’t believe in. I speak what I think is right. I was also never told to say this or that. You can cross check with your contacts in the BCCI. Not once, in 17-18 years of my television career was I influenced by someone to say something. I sleep peacefully every night.

But surely, it is not an ideal situation to be in. The conflict of interest is obvious.
See, it is something I can’t help. There were irregularities in the running of the IPL and hence, certain issues had to be addressed. The BCCI directly negotiated a contract with us. I see no wrong in that.  They are the ones who own the production and have every right to have a say in these matters. It is heck of a lot of work. We work for 120-130 days a year and people know I don’t mince words. At the end of the day, I’m aware that I’m addressing not one million or two millions but a billion viewers. I know what is at stake for me if I’m not going to sound credible. You don’t earn your stripes by toeing the line. You earn your stripes because you have a credible opinion. Let the viewer decide for himself.

How do you react to the criticism about your commentary being jingoistic, etc?
Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. All I know is that I do an honest job. My conscience is clear and clean. I have said that I would never have reinstated Ian Bell. If I was the spokesman for the board, I would have said it’s a great job by the team to have reinstated Bell.

You have opposed Bell’s reinstatement. Fine. If it was Sachin Tendulkar, what would be your stand? It is said that you would not have opposed.
Absolutely not. It is about the laws of the game. In this case, the spirit of the game comes much later. You cannot ignore the laws just to uphold the spirit of the game. As for Sachin, for all I know, he would not have walked off. He would have waited. But the point here is not what I would have said if it was Sachin. The point is would they have reinstated the batsman if it was a World Cup final and three runs were needed for the win? I’m all for the spirit of the game but not at the cost of the laws of the game.

You were part of a unanimous decision of the ICC cricket committee recommending the universal use of the DRS.
I had raised my reservations there as well. I argued my case in the meeting on every topic, including Hawk-eye. Even they agreed that it is not 100 per cent foolproof. Others had different views on this. If it was an issue for other boards then why did they do what they did at the ICC meeting in Hong Kong?

Your position on the DRS is same as that of BCCI’s, Sachin’s and Dhoni’s. Is it a coincidence?
Yes, just a coincidence. I’m not 100 per cent convinced. As you saw in the second Test, Hot Spot become cold spot.  My view is that it is a case of trial and error. Somewhere down the line, there will be a middle line drawn, which could be acceptable to all the teams.

You were not critical of India’s under preparation and lack of planning for the series.
Look, this is about prioritising your goals. India were the No 1 team about 18 months back. In the middle, you played a World Cup. The World Cup comes every four years. India had not won it for 28 years. So, the entire effort and focus had gone in preparing for the World Cup. If people tell me India should have focussed on this series instead of the World Cup, I would say b******t. You may drop from No 1 to No 3 but a couple of good series later, you may regain your top place. Even we had experienced a similar thing. We were hammered by the West Indies after we won the World Cup in 1983. This can happen. Barring Australia, no other team held the World Cup and No 1 ranking simultaneously. Give this team another three months, and they will bounce back.

It is felt that the IPL is not in the best interest of Indian cricket. You never criticised it.
India’s winning of the World Cup had a lot to with the IPL. The IPL produced the players to be picked for the World Cup. Players like Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, R Ashwin… they were all the products of the IPL. People just can’t stomach its existence simply because of its success and the there is money involved.

How can you look back at the argument with Nasser Hussain? It is said that you were fiercely defending the BCCI?
Irrespective of my being in contract with the BCCI or not, I would have said the same thing. I’ve the highest regard for Nasser. He played his cricket hard and he has an opinion. He is entitled to that opinion. But it’s the same with me as well.