The changes made by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) may have a lot to do with the internal politics of how the board operates and the flow of power within.
The changes made by the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) may have a lot to do with the internal politics of how the board operates and the flow of power within.
However as far as the nation and cricket are concerned, there are still a number of challenges ahead for the board and it can only be hoped that the board will do justice to them.
The decision to make Anil Kumble head the National Cricket Academy can only be beneficial.
His tremendous expertise, determination and enthusiasm can be used to hone the talents of our young and hopeful cricketers.
But much bigger is the way the path is being cleared to clean up the mess in the IPL. The question of whether Lalit Modi is innocent and being unfairly targeted or indeed responsible for all that is wrong with Indian cricket today is moot. However, there is no doubt that something is wrong with the way the IPL functioned, the process of bidding for new teams and the way in which complicated financial arrangements were constructed and accepted.
These irregularities have to be fully investigated and sorted out — in some sense, the credibility of cricket in India is at stake here.
There are other challenges for the BCCI to consider. The issue of electronic assistance for umpires needs to be addressed and the conflict with WADA over the whereabouts clause must also be worked. Testing for drugs is accepted by all top international sportspersons and cricket cannot be different.
Certainly, by dismissing all the cases against former BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, removing Lalit Modi and Sunil Gavaskar from their respective posts, the BCCI has provided much grist to the rumour mill.
This salacious interest needs to be kept in its place while the pressure has to remain on the BCCI to sort out its problems within and without. With Sharad Pawar as head of the International Cricket Council, the BCCI can take a leadership role with other cricket boards and focus on the allegations of match-fixing, the needs of the players and set the right course for the future of cricket. Because that is what it is all about.
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