Communism 038; cricket

Sourav Ganguly's re-induction in the Indian cricket team proves that while cricket administration hasn8217;t changed, national politics has...

Sourav Ganguly8217;s re-induction in the Indian cricket team proves that while cricket administration hasn8217;t changed, national politics has. There8217;s exactly as much intrigue, chauvinist politics and axe grinding in Sharad Pawar8217;s BCCI as there was in Jagmohan Dalmiya8217;s. But national politics has acquired a whole new dimension 8212; the Left has upgraded its role from stalling policy to shaping cricket. Gurudas Dasgupta has emerged as the exemplar of this new political praxis. Who can forget the gentle words of persuasion he directed at Pawar. Who can8217;t surmise that those words had a powerful effect on the UPA constituent leader, sorry, we mean the BCCI chief.

Having ensured Ganguly8217;s 8220;fair treatment8221; by Indian cricket, the Left should now work to provide similar guarantees in Pakistan. We suggest a common minimum programme, drafted by the Left but signed by Indian and Pakistani cricket authorities. The cricket CMP can lay down that Shoaib Akhtar can bowl at Ganguly only at a certain fraction of his natural pace, and that even while doing that, deliveries more than waist-high will be deemed violative of the agreement. Similarly, if slightly less restrictive guidelines should be drawn up for the other two potentially anti-Ganguly ploys, pacers Mohammed Sami and Navidul Hasan.

Undoubtedly, a cricket CMP will serve Bengal8217;s cause even better than Ganguly8217;s re-induction. And that brings up another fundamental political issue for the Left 8212; the constraints it imposes on itself by not clearly saying it will bat only for Bengal. That Prakash Karat is the CPM8217;s general secretary is neither here nor there. He may not be from Bengal but his duty is to fight America. As such, he is above and beyond national politics. The Kerala Left knows its place in the party hierarchy better than a 12th man in a cricket team. So, let Bengal have a formal regional-political representation via the party that seemingly will rule it forever. We also want to say let Ganguly do well. But our sentiments are suspect. We think Ganguly is a fine Indian cricketer. That8217;s not good enough for the CPB-M, ie, Communist Party of Bengal-Marxist.