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Confusion, Incorporated

A lot is being written about the Board of Control for Cricket in India these days. After the 'no show' meeting in September this year, the BCCI finally conducted their annual ritual at Madras and laid to rest whatever conjectures there have been floating about their affairs. The BCCI president, in his post-meeting briefing, said that the BCCI was like one big family and that each member of that family will strive towards the betterment of the game in the country.

The BCCI, in the recent past, has been subject to all kinds of insinuations from all quarters. They have been labelled as a power hungry group which would go to any length to keep their chairs intact. After the aborted September meeting, the media have been privy to all kinds of accusations made by certain quarters in the BCCI -- all of which was totally unnecessary.

What people do not realise that the BCCI is an institution that believes in consistency. Arjuna Ranatunga, the Buddha of Sri Lankan cricket, has mentioned on more than one occasion that the success of his team is only because of the consistency that the Lankan Board has had in all its policies. In spite of repeated failures, the Sri Lankan board stuck to their guns and maintained the same nucleus which has today transformed the island into a major cricketing power. While tributes have been paid to this consistency, no one appreciates the consistency that has been exhibited by the BCCI over the years.

For example…..

The BCCI has always believed in not allowing the ruling faction to remain in power for a full term. The reasoning behind this is simple; the august association does not allow any one faction to take complete control of affairs, as they do believe that absolute power corrupts. When S K Wankhede and B N Dutta became too powerful, they were replaced by N K P Salve and Madhavrao Scindia respectively. When Scindia got on to the hotline directly with the then Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin who was in Australia, it was time for I S Bindra to step in. The BCCI have maintained full consistency in keeping the democratic principles of this country alive.

Come elections, you have accusations. In this respect, members of the BCCI have shown remarkable uniformity when it comes to hurling accusations at each other whenever elections are round the corner. Be it a buried FERA case or a deal with Pepsi. Be it the loss of printed tickets for a match or a shady alliance with WorldTel. The core matter of the accusations are almost the same. Members of the BCCI believe that it is their prerogative to keep the ruling factions in check and to see that the moneys received or spent are all accounted for.

Post elections, it's back to family ties. The BCCI have proved, time and again, that once the elections are over they are like one big happy family. See what happened this time. All accusations of deals with soft drink companies and television conglomerates were forgotten the moment the votes were counted. You see, members of the BCCI, like members of average Indian families, forget their differences the moment their problems are sorted out. After all, blood, they say, is thicker than water.

This consistency is maintained by office bearers of the BCCI when it comes to public affairs as well. Whenever BCCI officials address the media, they see to it that their statements are consistent through time. When the Secretary gives a reason for the sacking of Madan Lal, the cricket coach, he says "He did not motivate the players." A year prior to that, when the President explained the ouster of Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal's predecessor, it was because "It is a result-oriented world."

If you take a close look at both the statements, they mean the same thing. In fact, a source in the BCCI has mentioned that they are already trying out variations for the ouster of Anshuman Gaekwad, a year in advance of the event. Talk about forward planning!

Apart from BCCI's consistency in making statements and sacking cricket coaches, they have always maintained the same level of consistency when it comes to delegating responsibilities, sometimes unpleasant ones, to their supporters. Take the case of the present selection committee. As many as four members of the most important body in Indian cricket are office bearers of their respective associations. Now, you all know that the selectors' job, though it may look like a plum one, is thankless. By giving their supporters responsible positions like that of a selector, the ruling faction of the BCCI ensures that they are accountable, act with responsibility and work for the betterment of cricket.

The BCCI ruling faction's supporters (read, selectors) too are pretty consistent when it comes to important decisions they make. Take the case of captaincy. As is the norm laid down over the years, the selectors will never give the captain a sufficient period of time to settle down. Azharuddin, on his return from South Africa, was appointed captain for a single Test match against the touring English side.

Comparatively, Sachin Tendulkar is lucky -- he now has three chances against Sri Lanka. Captaincy apart, selection committees, over the years, have also shown that they are consistent while dropping and picking certain players. Case in point: Navjot Singh Sidhu. The genial sardar has been dropped, picked and dropped again by different committees over a period of time.

And finally, what is really consistent about the BCCI are its members. Captains, cricketers, managers and coaches have come and gone, but the BCCI has maintained their core team of members. These are selfless individuals who have sacrificed their entire lives for the game of cricket. They have gone through good times as well as bad times together, like one big happy family.

All for the noble cause of promoting cricket in India.

Hemant Kenkre