Zee-ro tolerance

So didn8217;t Zee Telefilms 8212; the ICL promoters 8212; apply for affiliation? 8220;We have applied, but still haven8217;t heard from th BCCI,8221; says Zee Telefilms CEO Himanshu Mody. Ask the BCCI8217;s CAO Prof Ratnakar Shetty about the status of Zee8217;s application and all he is ready to say is, 8220;the working committee has decided that the BCCI will have nothing to do with ICL.8221; Such is the paranoia that he isn8217;t ready to give the reasons for the cold shoulder, nor is he ready to reveal the general conditions that a tournament now needs to adhere to, to get the official status.

One rephrases the question when one speaks to BCCI joint-secretary MP Pandove. How are the official All-India tournaments like Sheesh Mahal, Buchi Babu, Goswami Ganesh Dutt and Moin-ud-Dowla different from Zee Telefilms8217; proposed event?

8220;All these big tournaments are conducted by the state associations and were approved by the board. The ICL has applied for a first time permission but they don8217;t follow our terms and conditions,8221; he clarifies.

Giving details he adds, 8220;There are three main conditions. Proper state sides cannot be invited to these tournaments. No foreign players can participate, and every application has to be routed through a state association.8221;

With the ICL not planning to involve state sides, the first condition isn8217;t a problem for Zee Telefilms. Applying to the state unit too isn8217;t an obstacle since that would just mean changing the address on the application form. But it is the foreign players clause that is seen as the official reason for the ICL not getting the tagline: 8220;under the aegis of the BCCI8221;.

But this argument isn8217;t watertight since in the past foreign players have played in BCCI affiliated tournaments. It was New Zealand A that won the Buchi Babu tournament in 2001 and in 1974-75 Hindustan Breweries played the Moin-ud-Dowla Trophy with imports like Rohan Kanhai, William Anderson Bourne, Anura Tennekoon, Duleep Mendis.

It is only on the condition of anonymity that BCCI officials give the real reason for this distance from the ICL. 8220;How can we give recognition to a group that will sting us in the future. Today they will conduct a tournament under our umbrella but once they get a foothold, they can be ambitious. They will grow and try to overhaul us. This is not an open sky policy where anyone can float their product. The government of India has authorised us to run cricket in India, we will not allow any one else to clash with our long term interests,8221; says a senior BCCI functionary.

If that is the case, why isn8217;t the BCCI taking a clear stand on ICL and mentioning it in the letter that they have sent to their units?

8220;In the past, the board hasn8217;t been strict about certain players going and playing such matches. But whenever we have come to know about this we have warned them. From now on the board will have decided to be strict,8221; they say.

Says Rajiv Shukla, BCCI vice-president: 8220;The board is not stopping anyone, just making its stance clear. There are certain tournaments not approved by the board and therefore people cannot expect to work there and enjoy our benefits. The choice remains with the players. The BCCI is the only authorised body to conduct cricket in India and any one else coming in should be deemed illegal.8221;

But can8217;t an out of work former player go for greener pastures? 8220;Even the BCCI can pay huge sums to cricketers and conduct high-profile tournaments. But after four years there will be no one playing cricket except these guys. If they are talking about developing cricket, they should invest in infrastructure, junior cricket and other pension schemes,8221; the official adds.