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Journalism of Courage
Has the BCCI overstepped its brief in deciding not to allow second-string players from India to take part in an American cricket league? In the absence of a consistent answer from the Board’s officials, the facts suggest that the cricketers are being denied the chance to ply their trade even though they are not on contract with the BCCI.
Board president Jagmohan Dalmiya and secretary SK Nair made completely contradictory statements to this reporter this evening. Nair went farther, quoting an ICC directive that contracdicted what officials in Lord’s had said.
The players, largely comprising of has-beens and never-were in terms of international cricket, were invited by a private US company, ProCricket, to take part in a tournament next month. The league was to be played on the lines of the popular Twenty20 cricket in England and the offer was seen as a chance of earning in the off-season.
On Thursday, BCCI secretary SK Nair issued a press release saying the Board would not allow any players to take part in the event in view of the stand taken by the ICC directing the member boards to bar any cricketer from playing.
‘‘The ICC had communicated to all its members, including the BCCI, that it had not approved the event and that the event did not have the support of the United States Cricket Association (USACA) either. The ICC has recommended to the members (that) countries should therefore not release any players to play in this event’’, the release said.
When contacted in the evening, Nair reiterated what the release said. Minutes later, his boss Dalmiya, speaking from New Delhi, said he had no idea of the issue or Nair’s press release. Ironically, it was Dalmiya, in his tenure as ICC president, who professed his desire to take cricket ‘‘far and wide’’ and especially to the US. However, the ICC directive Nair quotes is clear about one thing: as spokesman Jon Long told this paper, the advisory asked all boards ‘‘not to release their contracted players’’.
‘‘We left it upto the boards to interpret the advice in an appropriate manner. But in no way did we say that since we have not approved the event, that we disapprove it, ’’ said Long, careful that his statements would not affect the ICC’s own ‘‘Project USA’’.
For the record none of the Indian players — not even the Test stars — have any sort of contract with the Indian cricket board and are in a sense free labour. The much touted player contracts are still being discussed and are yet to be seen in black and white.
But such is the BCCI’s clout that the likes of Ajay Ratra, Sanjay Bangar and Deep Dasgupta will probably not challenge the order, however questionable.
It’s the ideal scenario for the Indian Cricket Players Association (ICPA) to take a stand but it has been noticeable in its absence. ICPA secretary Arun Lal could not be reached for a comment through most of Thursday.
Another founder member Ravi Shastri asked this reporter to call back next week. The event’s organiser, New Jersey-based ‘‘commisioner of ProCricket’’ Kalpesh Patel, is upbeat that ‘‘everything will fall in place before July 2 and ‘‘will be done according to protocol’’. ‘‘We will start with a soft-launch on Saturday and our sources close to the ICC and the BCCI are working to make sure the league gets a proper footing from.’’
