Sport

Getting the priorities wrong

Some of the Board members seem to be interested in making issues of non-issues, writes Makarand Waingankar

To make an issue of a non-issue is nothing new in Indian sports, and with huge funds pouring in, ambitious elected members of some of the affiliated associations of the Board, are keeping the BCCI President Sharad Pawar busy by blowing issues out of proportion.

Whether it is endorsements or women's cricket, the approach has not been conducive to cricket. Instead of taking measures to improve the level of Indian cricket, these ambitious members seem to be interested in cricket-politicking.

Are the members of the Working Committee trying to convince the cricket loving public that it's they who have brought money into Indian cricket and not Tendulkar, Dravid and Ganguly? The fact that all the fat cheques get deposited in the BCCI from the sponsors is only because the Indian team, whether one agrees or not, boasts of players who are marketable.

This means players have the right to earn by marketing themselves as their cricketing lifespan is short. But that's not the case with some of the officials who — irrespective of their poor contribution to the game — have been occupying important positions in the associations and also in the BCCI for decades.

For seven months, the Indian international cricketers haven't been paid match fees. All that we get to read is about the performance-based payments and retainer. Match fees haven't been paid, annual retainer has been drastically cut, and the seniors were not consulted while drafting contracts. These are certainly not good signs.

Denying rights

How can players be denied the right to earn their living? Drop them if they don't perform. Whether they didn't perform because of their endorsement-shootings or for whatever other reason hardly matters. Nor would a player dropped for non-performance have any ground to argue. But to restrict players in signing endorsements is nothing but treating them shabbily.

Then there was a controversy regarding the running of women's cricket, and Sharad Pawar ensured the troublemakers got the right message. The BCCI, as per the directive from the ICC, asked its associations to have a women's cricket wing. Despite this directive, a few associations entertained grievances of the body that was running women's cricket in India.

The whole issue was fund — and individual — based as the BCCI refused to recognise the earlier body.

Initially, the BCCI was averse to running women's cricket in India, but with ICC threatening not to have the Indian team participate in international cricket if the BCCI refused to run Indian women's cricket it was forced to launch its women's cricket wing with Shubhangi Kulkarni, Diana Eduljee and Rani Nara.

What needs to be done is to invite the presidents and secretaries of the women's wing of each association and plan a proper cricket calendar. The National Cricket Academy too should have a Director and coaches for women's cricket. The tournament structure also needs to be improved, and with the associations being told to encourage women's cricket, a conclave with Sharad Pawar attending would silence detractors.

Curators' workshop

There is a curators' workshop in Mumbai on May 12 and 13 to study the preparation of fast and bouncy pitches. Over 50 curators will be attending the workshop, but unless these curators are guided in field-preparation, things will not improve. Last month, the Karnataka State Cricket Association invited technical personnel from the New Zealand Turf Association (NZTA) to prepare pitches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The BCCI had invited NZTA personnel in 1997 to interact with our curators, but there was no consultation maintained thereafter. If the BCCI was to now invite these NZTA personnel for the two-day Mumbai workshop, it would be very beneficial as their implementation is research-oriented. It's the scientific measures in preparation of pitches and drainage system that need to be understood. The laboratory tests of the ingredients form the most important aspect.

Only professionals in the field can educate others. If the NZTA personnel were invited earlier, why not now? This is an excellent opportunity if the BCCI is really serious about improving the condition of pitches in India.

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