Change is imperative in Indian cricket - The BCCI conundrum

Indian team celebrate during the 1^st ODI against Bangladesh

‘With great power comes great responsibility’ is an adage we are quite familiar with. The lust for power in India is unprecedented. But we often shy away from our responsibilities and this is what plagues the Board of Control for Cricket in India, one of the richest sports bodies in the world.

The body which governs the affairs of the most loved sport in our country is actually governed by a set of power greedy individuals who are doing more harm than good for this sport. And the happenings over the past year or so have accentuated that belief. From the controversy over former President N. Srinivasan’s alleged involvement in match-fixing to the gross infighting over various key posts in the BCCI, it has been a total harakiri.

And if this was not enough, the return of the old war horse Jagmohan Dalmiya hasn't helped matters much. Neither have they been able to appoint a permanent coach, nor have they been able to justify the advisory roles given to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.

Unclear roles of stalwarts

The roles of these legends in this advisory committee are still unclear. This is in addition to the technical committee which is spearheaded by Anil Kumble. Though intitiatives of this magnitude where the stalwarts are brought together on one common platform are always appreciable, this would prove to be a beneficial decision only if a clear roadmap is defined and these legends have more defined powers in terms of decison making.

BCCI has lost the plot here and needs to quickly overhaul its strategy. Though the decision to ask Rahul Dravid to mentor youngsters is a step in the right direction, much more needs to be done especially at the junior level if we are to aim for consistency in the long run.

Timing of the Bangladesh tour

The Bangladesh tour should not have happened at least in the month of June or July, when rains lash the eastern part on a regular basis, highlighted by the pointless one-off Test match played out last week, or shall I say played out more in the dressing rooms than on the field.

How frustrating this must be for the cricketers who have been playing non-stop cricket since last December. No sooner did the IPL finish, they had to pack their bags and rush to tiger’s den. And not to play but to spend time in agony and wait. Wouldnt it have been better had they been given a month off? No disrespect to the Tigers who are a fabulous side but this tournament should have been scheduled later.

But the poor BCCI has hardly understood this! The cash-hungry “society” wants to churn out revenues at any cost and will do whatever it takes to please its office bearers. Though it literally governs the world cricket with all the moolah it helps the game garner, the time has come for a strategic overhaul. Former India stalwarts need to be at the helm of affairs to oversee its functioning. Its image has taken a huge dent in the past one year.

A much-needed change is imperative in Indian cricket.