India's cricketing gods reign supreme

For all the following and interest that India's cricket games and the stars of the team generate, the world behind it and the happenings in it, seem to be murkier and more tightly controlled than most underworld regimes around the world.

And even when details of it do seep out, the coverage of it and introspection done on them either are not profound or even if they are, they seem to miss the limelight, as nothing seems to change.

There is something very eerie when it comes to the close-knit world of the most popular game in the country, which it dominates on the world scene, at least in terms of money power, if not always on the field.

As of now, the Indian cricketing world is again caught in a crisis. And no, it's not because of the team's loss to Pakistan in the final of the Champions Trophy. It stems from the circumstances that have enveloped the resignation of the team's coach, Anil Kumble.

With the possible reasons behind it, such as a tussle between the team's Captain, Virat Kohli, and Kumble, making the rounds in the media. But thanks to the wall of secrecy the world of cricket, especially in India, has been able to build around it, no one will ever know the real reason unless one of those involved speaks up.

Given the history of the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI), the body which the Indian team actually represents, and of players, past and present, it seems doubtful that the true nature and reasons behind the matter will ever come out.

It is such a way of functioning and what can only be described as a code and bonding that everyone involved with the game seems to adhere to that is at the root of the problem. With the current saga only being the latest to raise its ugly head.

The warnings and the CoA

The game in the country has been rocked by scandals before as well, in particular since the 90's with issues such as match fixing, spot fixing, Indian Premier League ruckus (Lalit Modi), favouritism in team selection, conflict of interest, BCCI's refusal to act and Supreme Court stepping in etc.

The list could go on but that would mean little given the refusal to take any meaningful action on them by those in power.

This behaviour reached such heights that the Supreme Court had to finally step in and form a panel comprising of three former apex court judges including Chief Justice of India, R. M Lodha, following Justice Mudgal report on the issue of spot-fixing in IPL 2013.

Lodha committee recommended measures, non-implementation of which by the BCCI led to the SC removing the board's head and putting a committee, Cricket Advisory Committee (CoA), of four people- Vinod Rai (former Comptroller and Auditor General of India), Ramchandra Guha (a cricket historian), Diana Eduljee (former women's team captain), and Vikram Limaye (MD and CEO of IDFC Ltd)- in charge.

The BCCI was supposed to report to them and the members were supposed to be running the show. Great hope rose in the minds of those who really care for the game. But a few months down the line, the historian, Guha, resigned from the panel and wrote a scathing letter giving the reasons behind his decision.

The letter pointed out problems that have been well-documented in the past but ignored in terms of actions needed to be taken to rectify them.

The biggest issue out of these was the aspect of conflict of interest that many retired and current players have when it comes to the different positions (like commentators, members of IPL franchises and the companies that own them, etc.) many of them hold. Along with this the second major point raised by him was the clout that senior players seem to have and how dealings between them and the administrators vary due to it,

Though these had always been known such points were always raised in hushed tones.

The Gods of Cricket

But Guha named names, and these included stalwarts such as Sunil Gavaskar, MS Dhoni among others. And the fact that he, due to his position in the CoA, could not be treated as a person from the outside, helped raise the pitch of the discussion further.

It did create a furore at first. Though nothing seems to have changed and it seems to matter little to the Indian public as long as matches of the team continue to get streamed.

How else can a serious problem such as conflict of interest not be taken head on and be solved. Such avoidance on the topic can quite clearly also explain why the other major issue unjustified power that senior players in the team enjoy on various issues, does not get addressed. Though this phenomenon has been present in the team for many decades, it came into the news again following Kumble's resignation.

This too can be seen as another type of conflict of Interest when players have such a say in the appointment of the person who is to coach them. What authority would the next coach bring to the job is a question worth asking. A question that must be asked of any professional team, no matter what the sport.

But except for the exorbitant amounts involved in the game, in all honesty, little else seems professional about cricket in India. And though only a few players were named by Guha, the issue clearly goes beyond them and is spread across all gods of the cricketing world.

It's a game of money and very little responsibility

All professional teams around the globe, be it cricket or football, are run by a small group which is in charge of running the show and are held responsible for their actions.

The major difference when it comes to the running the game of cricket in India, as the BCCI does, from other similar bodies comes not only in the makeup of the board but also how little responsibility they have when it comes to their actions along with the conflict of interest of the roles these administrators and players have.

For all the love that players of the game receive in the country, the fact that politicians, or those with a close relationship with them, end up in charge of the richest cricketing body in the world, which provides the majority of the total revenues that the International Cricket Council, the game's world governing body receives every year.

This is the world of cricket that seems to be behind the glamorous scenes on the cricketing field and the television screens.

It all seems to be running on money, with politicians at the top, who may be on opposite sides of the political divide, coming together seamlessly when it comes to being in charge of cricket in the country and maintaining the hold they have over it, by making sure no change in such status-quo takes place.

With money at the heart of it, this coming together of those with political power and clout, businessmen close to them with the financial backing, and the players who have the support of the country, most of it deserved for their performance on the field but unjustified in terms of their standing as gods who can do no wrong, is what has led to the current state of the game.

And things are unlikely to change with such a powerful coterie as the cause behind it, and the fans of the game caring little about it, except for when the team is defeated,especially by Pakistan. Particularly when all that is needed to distract their attentions from such serious matters is the beginning of a new match.

OneIndia News