India’s 500th Test is a major milestone and the BCCI has made a commendable effort to make it successful. The build was energetic and the match has panned out splendidly over the first two days, replete with twists and turns that make this format such a joy to watch.
Asking players, aficionados and fans to pick their ‘Dream Team’ from Indian cricket history is an initiative that has also resonated well across the country, complemented by the invitation to past Indian captains to be felicitated before the start of this match, be a part of history.
But this is where I am left with a miff. Why the BCCI could not invite Nari Contractor, Bishen Singh Bedi Nari and Gundappa Vishwanath beats me? This has sullied what would otherwise have been a magnificent and memorable occasion.
Was this because of oversight, poor communication or a deliberated decision? Frankly, forgetfulness itself in such a situation is unpardonable. But the BCCI did not do anything to rectify the situation — if indeed it was a mistake — when this was brought to light early enough.
Some newspaper reports had a BCCI official explaining that emails sent to Bedi bounced back. This seems like petty-fogging. Why couldn’t he be contacted on his cellphone? Other reports suggest that Bedi and Contractor were left out of the celebrations because they have every now and then taken contrarian positions vis-a-vis the BCCI.
That the affable Vishwanath was overlooked is a complete mystery for he has not had any confrontation with the establishment — not as player or after. But even ignoring Bedi and Contractor for the views they hold - if that is indeed true — is contemptible.
One need hardly expound the massive contribution made by these players. Bedi in particular, was captain for a fair length of time, apart from being one of the greatest spinners of the game and a major contributor in some of India’s greatest triumphs.
Their not being present for the felicitations during the 500th Test cannot obscure the role they have played in Indian cricket. That is enshrined forever in the scorebooks. Rather, neglecting them eroded the value of the ceremony at Kanpur and was akin to cutting the nose to spite the face.
True Bedi and Contractor have often taken positions disagreeable to the BCCI. Sometimes they have been right, sometimes badly wrong too. But this cannot be reason for blighting them. It seems churlish of the BCCI to have played tit for tat, as it were.
Dissent is not necessarily bad. It may cause discomfort, but equally can give new ideas. The establishment can accept what it finds of value and reject what it doesn’t. Stifling contrary opinion is short sightedness and, in a wider perspective, unacceptable.
It’s not that the BCCI has always taken a recalcitrant position in such matters. For instance, during the Raj Singh Dungarpur Memorial Lecture in 2010, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi famously quipped in his keynote address, “ICC is the voice of cricket, BCCI the invoice.’’
Coming as this did shortly after his resignation from the Governing Council of the IPL, this was extremely provocative. But that time the BCCI did not react with hostility. In fact, after Pataudi sadly passed away in 2011, an annual lecture has been instituted in his memory.
This kind of flip-flop by the BCCI sends out confounding signals. What is the message being received by current players, or youngsters aspiring to play for India? That they should have no mind of their own as long as their livelihood is being looked after?
But even more disquieting was the silence of some highly influential part of the 500th Test celebrations. Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble, M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli are known to have strong opinions. Some have had strong differences with the establishment in the past too.
I wish they had stood up for members of the ‘Captains Club’ who were sidelined. Celebrating a landmark moment demanded magnanimity, not reform school surliness, which is what the BCCI has done, or being let down by fraternity members. As the old saying goes, this was “simply nor cricket.’’
