The dismal dismissal of Team India from the cricket World Cup 2007 hit India like an earthquake. Although it brought down in its impact the players from their high pedestals, the media and advertisers are still struggling to rally all the cricket fans who had developed aversion for the game after the ignominious defeats. Instead of learning any lessons from such experiences, columns in front-pages of dailies and prime-time news of TV channels are continuously being devoted to cricket – be it controversies surrounding Greg Chappel and Sachin Tendulkar or deliberations of BCCI working committee.
Whenever public anger and dissatisfaction appear uncontrollable, the typical approach of authorities is to huddle together and announce a slew of measures that invariably include setting up of Inquiry Commissions or Advisory Panels or investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Once the adverse public reaction peters out, the reports of such inquiry missions become redundant and never see the light of the day.
One of the few sensible decisions of the working committee of BCCI is to form a Cricket Advisory Panel consisting of ex-captains under the chairmanship of President and will include all office bearers. This is the first instance of BCCI trying to seek advice from those who know the game best. Very soon, as it happens with most organisations headed by politicians, I am afraid, we may be informed of forming of a cricket Advisory sub-committee and then of a cricket Advisory core committee and so on. Such strategies are intended to dilute and delay their unfavourable findings. The other strange decision is to appoint 3 coaches including one for bowling and one for the fielding.
Sports and politics are strange bed-fellows. If India has to recover from the shock of its defeat in World Cup, experts and experienced players should be called upon to give their suggestions which should be implemented earnestly. The game should be freed from the clutches of politicians and bureaucrats who always have their own axes to grind and are part of the problem.
