Is this the Beginning of the cleanup of BCCI?

Is this the Beginning of the cleanup of BCCI?: Two years ago when Mr. Narayanswami Srinivasan was addressing a press conference and pretended to know nothing about his son-in-law’s much documented series of off-field “brilliance”; we knew all was not well within the board. But what we also knew was that the BCCI gives a damn to public opinion or media pressure.

As long as they think its okay and they can pull it off that way, it really is! Their confidence has been given a serious dent by the verdict of the Supreme Court appointed Lodha committee. It is by all counts the first honest decision on the working affairs of the BCCI in general and the IPL in particular and not surprisingly it has come from outside the board. It has also shaken their argument that they are capable to meet out punishments and undertake disciplinary action on their own.

Neither history nor their way of operation supports their claims. It has also put to rest all speculations on which authority in India can tie the hands of a certain autocratic natured body like the BCCI- as it happens it is only the Supreme Court of India. The state of cricket affairs leaves only the judiciary and centrally the SC with the task of restore the faith in the game. When the yes men of BCCI like Sunil Gavaskar say that the verdict cannot be taken lightly you know that the ripples are reaching the shore.

The verdict cannot be seen in isolation, and neither is this the end of the IPL saga. The committee basically was an extension of the terms of reference of the Mudgal committee and therefore if anything this can only be assumed to be the start of a bigger move for making the board accountable, transparent and responsive to public opinion.

What it also tells us is that two teams who should have been punished for their deeds in the 2013 season of the IPL much earlier and should not have played the subsequent two editions were somehow allowed to get away because of the lack of will on the BCCI’s part to act against teams one of which was owned by its President himself. And is it wise for us to hope for that? How do you expect somebody to cut his own arms?

The working of the BCCI defies the very notion of justice. Even if you are caught red handed here, the next line of argument is Ohh! The hands got red while playing colours and nothing else. So simple you see…

Many fans are down categorizing it as a dark day for Indian cricket but a wiser insight would reveal that it is a day to rejoice. A verdict which can restore the faith of the larger public in the game shouldn’t be seen in the realms of darkness. The game is bigger than individuals and the law is bigger than the game. This also shows what kind of eyewashes are the internal committees formed the BCCI. Here it must be noted that both the teams were given a clean chit by the then appointed BCCI disciplinary committee.

Perhaps the result in those proceedings was decided prior to the investigation process rather than after it. So what’s the fuss about? Wasn’t that the objective with which they were constituted. The blunder we as fans and guys in the media do is go after individuals and try to paint a picture as if all wrong done is because of Srinivasan. We are not backing Srinivasan in any capacity, but at the same time, there cannot be one individual who is responsible for all wrong doings.

What about the working committee of the BCCI and the members sitting there? What about the state cricket associations? Aren’t they equally complicit in the crime? The system as it is today allows men like Srinivasan to flourish and acquire the kind of power they eventually do. If that is not given a major shake, cricket as agame can hardly take the center stage in this power struggle. And on a different note all this while Kochi Tuskers might be thinking they were punished for stealing a pin while the market was being robbed.

Lets also remember that the day isn’t far when the Mudgal committee report will also be made public. And for all you know it could damage carriers and reputations forever.

The larger query is will this bring about any change. Without sounding pessimistic it must be clarified that there is still a long way to go. To make a body accountable which claims itself to be a private, autonomous entity is not going to be a walk in the park. Public interest is a word not found in BCCI’s dictionary. If conflict of interest is their constitution, double standards are the preamble. Though the decision must have been taken the day all this was known we must acknowledge that this is not an ideal world and corruption and cover up are the more frequent words than ethics and integrity when we discuss BCCI and cricket administration in the country.