Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The Indian cricket board is shaking the very foundation of the game with its greed for money.
The success of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) has given the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) more ammunition to take on other cricket bodies.
Unfortunately, the BCCI officials are not looking beyond their noses. The withdrawal of India's one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the Test series against Sri Lanka has tremendous repercussions if the board takes a good and hard look at it.
A talented, young cricketer has actually withdrawn from playing Test matches, which is still considered the greatest honour for any player. Dhoni cited a crowded cricket calendar which resulted in him being tired.
The BCCI must take blame for tiring out Dhoni. They have taken every opportunity to play cricket anywhere, any time.
Test matches don't matter much to the board. They prefer the shorter version which draws full houses and in the bargain, loads of money.
Test matches have decreased to just two or three and one-day matches increased to seven per series in India. There are times when India hardly figure in Test matches.
There are so many cricketers around the world who would give anything to represent their team in Test cricket. The Australians always believe Test cricket comes first.
Dhoni has a valid reason for not playing the Tests. But he forgets that playing for India is the ultimate honour for any cricketer.
He could have opted out of some of the one-day matches or rested during the IPL if he was feeling the heat. By shunning Tests, he may have given ideas to others to follow suit.
The IPL, with its glamour, glitter and gold, drew a fantastic response. But it still has to prove itself over the long run.
There will always be the worry that it will get predictable like one-day cricket and may lose its shine in the future.
Players may opt for the slam, bang, pocket your big bucks variety instead of getting their techniques tested in the longer version in the future.
That will kill the game. Hopefully, other cricket bodies will seek a balance and keep up traditions.
The BCCI, being amongst the richest sporting bodies in the world, is beginning to flex its muscles. They have turned down a request from England to change lesser-known venues during their tour to India this November.
The board wants to please some of the regional associations to garner favours. Regionalism and bias persists in everything the board does, including selections.
It is time the BCCI did some introspection. Nobody grudges them their hunger for money. But they must not destroy the game and the players in their quest.
The BCCI must respect the game which fills its coffers.
