India’s Cricketer of the Millennium, and the man who gave the country its biggest cricketing high, got the pink slip from the BCCI today. Yesterday Kapil Dev, as the chairman of the Indian Cricket League’s executive board, proudly showcased the cricketers who left the BCCI fold. Today, he ceased to be the chairman of the National Cricket Academy.In a unanimous decision at the special general body meeting, the BCCI also closed its doors on all those who have aligned themselves with ICL. “You can’t have two feet in two boats,” said BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan. It is learnt that Kapil, in the past few months, had tried to work out a compromise formula between the two cricket bodies, but BCCI’s posture today proved that the Indian board was in no mood to give even an inch to the Essel Group-promoted cricket venture. “Best of luck to all those who have gone to ICL, but there is no returning for them. If someone chooses to associate himself with any other organisation, he will not derive any benefit or be connected with any of BCCI’s activities in any way,” he said. Ajay Shirke, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, who was vice-chairman of the NCA, has been appointed interim chairman of the academy. A new chairman will be selected when the working committee of the BCCI meets in September.Also relieved of his duties was Erapalli Prasanna, who was involved with the Spin Wing of the NCA. His replacement will also be selected at the September meeting.A few other announcements made today showed how the BCCI is conscious about the new financially viable option that is available to the Indian cricketers and how they are gearing up to face the challenge. An across the board hike in the prize money for BCCI tournaments meant domestic cricket suddenly became attractive option — like a seven-time hike in the prize money for Ranji Trophy winners (see page 19) meant the world’s most cash rich board was loosening it’s purse strings to match the mega contracts of ICL. But the BCCI secretary of Niranjan Shah said that these things were always in pipeline and ICL had nothing to do with ICL. Even the former players will benefit. A senior BCCI official revealed: “With so many former players joining ICL we are left with few cricketing stalwarts. They have to be taken care of.” Not just that, Srinivasan even saw a bright side to this mass exodus to ICL. “Actually, with Ranji players going to ICL, youngsters will get the opportunity to replace them and get exposure,” he said.
