The BCCI are bullies. Narayanaswami Srinivasan is a crook. The BCCI will sustain their dominance in world cricket as long as the other nations continue put their hands out.
T20 franchises will threaten Test cricket and cricket in general will diminish slowly in countries that make up the small seven.
Yes, we have all heard it all before and will hear it again.
Can ICC boss Srinivasan be stopped? What can or could the other nine nations have done to prevent the BCCI dominance?
Constant assault on the BCCI in the media is not the answer, because it barely matters to those who sit inside the fort of the BCCI. Media personnel and general public from all around the world keep throwing stones at them but they are guarded by indestructible walls.
Vote for Srinivasan and the rest will take care of itself. It is a political game of business. It is like a government job from decades ago, once you occupy a seat, it is difficult to dislodge you as long as you obey the basic orders.
The only other option is to join another empire that can challenge the Srinivsan governance, but no opposition exists. The minds have been taken over and money talks.
Srinivasan is an astute character and has probably been planning his journey to the top ever since Sachin Tendulkar marked his guard for the first time. The man is a multimillionaire and his company, India Cements, has employed club cricketers for the past 25 years.
He has poured money into planning his way to the top. It must have been a gamble and a risk but Srinivasan must have known the consequences of reaching his ultimate goal. In his mind, it was a viable investment and he is cashing in on the rewards.
If you sit on his side of the fence, you can argue he knows the business inside out and worked as a true business-minded person. Those club cricketers that have been on the Indian Cements’ payroll since 1984 will continue to support him. For them, he has done nothing wrong and importantly has filled their pockets. Starting at the grassroots, Srinivasan has worked his magic to the top.
To dismantle the BCCI reign is a difficult task. Cricket Australia and the English cricket board were aware of it was impossible to depose the BCCI, so they caved in and joined the empire. It was disgraceful but did they have an alternative?
The only option that existed was privatisation. It is well known the other nine countries don’t generate sufficient funds and would have needed a third party to bail them out, or to convince their players to take significant pay cuts or risk them allying with the BCCI. Either option will divide the sport of cricket, a risk other nations were not able to take.
Another solution, suggested by Harsha Bhogle in his weekly column, was other countries should create their own economy, so they are not dependent on the BCCI. Gideon Haigh responded that it is not a question about a country’s economic state, it’s about the welfare of cricket. Haigh went on to add that it is not about India but about BCCI, which is not India. Haigh was right, but he needs to understand the men who run the BCCI are Indians and their mindset and mentality is that of the average Indian.
Their vision is not entirely for the game, but also about individualism. It is easy to point a finger at them, but to survive and progress in a country of a billion people one requires selfishness. From the western world, where basic facilities are available for †he average person, such mentality is not needed for equality in life.
It is sad but it is fact of life. People inside the BCCI fort cannot be blamed for it.
We can blame the BCCI, Srinivasan, Indian culture in general, ECB or CA. But the reality is the other cricketing nations either need to take a gamble or continue to bow down. Constant criticism hurled at the BCCI has had no effect, especially to those who make the decisions.
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