Another false promise

Prem Panicker

For cricket fans -- and who among us is not? -- August 1, 2000 should have been a date marked out in neon red.

August 1 should have been another Diwali. A celebration of the end of chaos, the birth of hope.

It is a commentary on our cricketing times, that August 1 has come, and gone, unnoticed. That chaos continues its reign, while hope proves to have a gestation period longer than that of the turtle.

August 1, in case you need reminding, marked the first anniversary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India's famous Vision Statement.

On the same day, we had published an analysis of that statement -- an unabashedly pessimistic analysis.

Some emails dating back to that period took us to task for that. 'You', the mails read in sum, 'have a single-point agenda, and that is to blame the board for everything and anything, without ever seeing the good that they do'.

A year later, I am still searching for that 'good', so that I could for have something to celebrate.

That search led me to a news report in a leading newspaper. Quote:

"The Cricket Board has no plans to constitute a panel of doctors to check players feigning injuries or teams fielding over aged players in junior tourneys but the respective state associations will be penalised if such a case was found true, according to its secretary Jaywant Lele.

"We believe what the concerned player is saying. How can any other doctor challenge the certificate issued by some other doctor?" Lele asked. "The players produce certificates and the Board believes them," he said.

Close quote. And start another quote -- this one, from the famous vision statement:

Action Plan for the future.

a) The board contours of the plan encompass the following:
b) Setting up of national coaching academy.
c) Creation of web site for the cricket board.
d) Introduction of video feed back system. Nomination of medical panel to determine the fitness of players.
e) Nomination of medical panel to determine the age of the players of junior cricket.
f) Payment of fees on the basis of player’s performance.
g) Payment of international matches allowance and logo money on the basis of gradation.
h) Providing Physical training equipment to all state Associations.

August 2000: The board will nominate a medical panel to determine the fitness of players.

August 2001: The board will take the word of the player, and his own doctor, about his fitness or lack thereof.

But I'm determined to find something good to say about the board, for once -- so let us forget about the medical panel. And instead, applaud the fact that a national cricket coaching academy has been set up, as promised. The two coaches -- Hanumant Singh and Vasu Paranjpe -- who were initially picked to head the academy have both quit. Sunil Gavaskar, one of the advisors, similarly tendered his resignation after a public, and unedifying, spat with Raj Singh Dungarpur. And India, with four top players off unfit, have not found among the academy inmates any suitable replacements. But what of that? Promise made, promise fulfilled -- isn't that enough for you?

Let's gloss over the website for the cricket board -- it hasn't been done but what of that? The video feedback system comes next. When John Wright took over, he asked for video support as a pre-condition of employment. He was promised it. He didn't get it. A Bangalore-based software company of which Javagal Srinath is part then, on its own initiative, developed a system of videotaping, analysis and feedback that is on par with what Australia and South Africa use today.

Prior to its deployment, Srinath spent an entire day taking me through its features -- and they were impressive, to say the very least. The team decided to use this system. All they wanted, was a programmer who knew both the software, and his cricket. They found one -- a former player and Ranji level umpire. The only catch was that he was employed by a private company. The players approached the company, and asked if the services of the programmer would be made available for when the Indian team plays. Certainly, said the company -- all we need is a letter from the BCCI saying that he is working for the team, and we will release him, on full wages. The board has not, till date, found the time to write that letter. Items 'f' and 'g' relate to graded payments for players. The players have been asking for it, they have been asking for contracts, for some method to the monetary madness.

The board is 'discussing' the proposal. And it's treasurer is on record as saying that he does not think it is such a good idea after all. Item 'h' relates to the provision of physical training equipment for the various state associations. If any of those associations has been given so much as a dumb-bell, I'll eat it. Without seasoning. Or even water to wash it down.

Then again, maybe we are the dumbbells -- for even thinking the BCCI was serious about its promises.

Elsewhere in the vision statement, the board promised a media manager, to ensure that the public is kept au courant with developments relating to Indian cricket. It also promised to recruit professionals to run the organisation, and to bring professionalism to cricket administration in the country.

A week later, leading newspapers carried full page advertisements calling for highly trained professionals to serve as administrators, treasurers, media managers, et cetera. Applications poured in. They now gather dust on a shelf in the BCCI office in Bombay. As to whether professionalism has been introduced -- you be the judge.

In June-July 2000, there was a very real prospect that the government, and in particular its activist sports minister S S Dhindsa, would take over the BCCI in the aftermath of the match-fixing scandal, the telecast rights scandal, and the national uproar over gross mismanagement.

Dhindsa demanded that the board have a vision, and that the BCCI spell out that vision in a public document.

So -- we got a document. A year later, we have a document. Every single item of which has been quietly repudiated by the board.

Happy anniversary!

Read also: The BCCI's vision statement
The Rediff analysis of the vision statement
Rediff's own vision statement for Indian cricket

Previous column:
Who, or what, is a Raj Singh Dungarpur?