BCCI has an image to live up to

By Vijay Lokapally

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 27. The Dungarpur factor seems to be the key issue even as the rival factions are assessing their strengths in the run up to the annual elections of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) slated to be held in Chennai on September 29.

The cynosure is the president's seat with the current occupant, Mr. A.C. Muthiah, being challenged by Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, former chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and life president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

There could be an interesting battle for the Secretary's post too, where the man-in-charge, Mr. J.Y. Lele, finds himself in choppy waters, thanks to the coup at home by former Test wicketkeeper Kiran More, who is leading the revolt in Baroda along with a few former State cricketers.

At present Mr. Muthiah looks the clear favourite, what with his group claiming the support of 17 votes out of a possible 29-Goa and Jammu & Kashmir not being allowed to vote. The test of strength took place in Delhi two days ago when like-minded members attended a dinner to express solidarity with Mr. Muthiah.

The platform may look rosy for Mr. Muthiah and his supporters but going by the history of the Board elections and the manipulative craft of his chief opponent, the equation could change dramatically in the next 24 hours as all sorts of ploys will be pressed into play to influence the voters.

Lunch and dinner diplomacy is in full swing and political pressure too is being applied from all possible quarters.

Mr. Dalmiya is being portrayed as a ``villain'' mainly because of his alleged dealings with some shady cricket agents. The fact that he is in the bad books of the Government is also being highlighted by his critics as one of the main reasons for such intense opposition to his candidature. The bitter struggle for the president's post amply reflects the functioning of the Board, which has once again got its priorities wrong. The officials in both the factions have a common desire, to be in power, whatever be the means to achieve this goal. There are, however, a few committed officials from smaller units who have toiled to make the Board such a rich sports body, but then such men are not counted and shall always remain in the background.

The focus is on the high-profile cricket promoters-local and global-and the self-proclaimed cricket romantics. One such official, Mr. Raj Singh Dungarpur, seems to be the chief bete noire of Mr. Muthiah's opponents.

Mr. Muthiah is in the fray for a third term, an honour enjoyed by the past two Board presidents, Messrs I.S. Bindra and Mr. Dungarpur. There is a precedent of the Board president being denied the third term when S.K. Wankhede and B.N. Dutt were left in the lurch in 1982 and 1990, respectively.

Going by performance, Mr. Muthiah deserves an extension but his opponents are up in arms for the manner in which he projected Mr. Dungarpur as the know-all of Indian cricket.

``Who is Raj Singh to decide on all major issues,'' thundered a veteran Board member. ``He's had his innings and should leave the scene gracefully. It's sad that Mr. Muthiah has chosen this man as his advisor,'' the member added.

Two prominent members of Mr. Dalmiya's factions told The Hindu that the opposition to Mr. Muthiah stems from the fact that he has allowed Mr. Dungarpur to call the shots in all major matters. ``It seems to be a one-man Board,'' one of them said.

``The handling of the National Cricket Academy has left much to be desired,'' said another member. Most of the officials are also agitated over Mr. Dungarpur earning the Board a bad name by his public utterances.

The two members cited examples where Mr. Dungarpur had exceeded his brief. ``He's behaved like an autocrat,'' they said, pointing out how Mr. Dungarpur had publicly humiliated all-time greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, current captain Sourav Ganguly; how he appointed Geoff Marsh on his own; how he interfered in the selections of coaches in the zonal academies; how he travelled to venues and put pressure on the Indian team by making outrageous demands of the players.

``This Dungarpur was an utter failure when he was the president and we are shocked how Mr. Muthiah could bank on him so much,'' the member said, questioning the capacity in which Mr. Dungarpur was allowed such freedom by the Board.

The NCA affair, and of course Mr. Dungarpur's role in it, will be the main point of discussion among the officials who have converged in Chennai. Efforts to woo support are on with conclaves being organised to arrive at the final tactics to be adopted. The intrigue of the Board politics could well give the country's meanest politicians a run for their money as loyalties fluctuate from one camp to another in a matter of hours. In such a scenario, it would be an uphill task for Mr. Muthiah to maintain grip on his followers even though many of his detractors too conceded that he deserved one more year for the sheer dignity he had brought to the Board and the efficient manner in which he had handled some thorny issues.

Mr. Muthiah gained universal acclaim for his stand against the guilty in the match-fixing scandal and his supporters emphasize the progress made on all fronts under his guidance. It was the toughest phase in Indian cricket and Mr. Muthiah did steer the Board to safe shores even though he was slammed by some of his colleagues for the action he took in banning a few players.

The coming up of the NCA, the appointments of professional coach and physio for the national team, the enhanced fee for the players, the move to introduce graded payment to the players and the increased match-fee and prize money for domestic cricket in the coming season are being cited as some of the positive developments during Mr. Muthiah's second term.

``Don't forget the dignity he has brought to the office with his impeccable public demeanour,'' said one of his supporters.

Mr. Dalmiya's opponents while accepting that he too has had a role in the progress made by the Board in the last decade, however, questioned his motives in opposing a third term for Mr. Muthiah. ``After holding the high office of ICC why is he so interested in heading the Board?'' asked one member.

Mr. Dalmiya, if one may give him his due, is only emulating a couple of other officials who have hung on to lower positions after serving the Board in a higher capacity.

``Mr. Dalmiya can wait,'' is the refrain of his opponents. ``Mr. Muthiah can't allow the major issues to be decided by someone like Mr. Dungarpur,'' is the counter. In the process, the casualty will be the camaraderie of yesteryear when Board members disagreed but never at the cost of harmony and cohesion.

A compromise could still be possible if the warring members are prepared to bury the acrimony and look ahead positively. The Board, once considered the best-run, cohesive sports body of the country, has an image to live up to. It is this image built over the years that Mr. Muthiah has been aiming to restore, provided his term is extended.

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