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Is this an Indian or BCCI XI?

By Mohan Kalyanasundaram
February 13, 2007 16:26 IST
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It is time we have a true democratic process built into the selection of Indian cricket, first the selectors and then the Indian team. If our cricket team needs to play with our Indian flag and be competitive then every Indian should have a voice in the selection of selectors and team. If this is going to be decided by the BCCI then the team should play under the BCCI flag and should not use the Indian flag and name. All commercials should shift their focus to attracting BCCI to buy, sell or lease as opposed to targeting any Indian public.

Our selectors have time and again shown preference to their favorites undermining the interests of our nation. Who is Vengsarkar to decide about the composition of the Indian team, when he himself has not played too many one-day games and has never been responsible for winning even a single one-day series? What was the logic in the inclusion of Sehwag who has time and again failed to put up any creditable show? Why would our captain side with Sehwag when there is abundant new, young talents available in our country who can take this nation to great new heights?

Will the board and its selectors, or the captain pay for the emotional stress they time and again cause to the innocent public of our nation? Is emotional anxiety the price to pay because we Indians are resilient, and forgiving? This is time our press wakes up and start questioning BCCI and its selectors for the rational behind the inclusion of certain players who don't merit a place in the team anytime.

Can the constitutional experts or Supreme Court of India jump in to see how a body like BCCI field an Indian eleven not taking their citizens into confidence? After all, BCCI is getting tax exemption and is the largest revenue making sports body in the whole world. What kind of a national interest does BCCI serve when it is taking tax exemption? Why should BCCI enjoy the monopoly status?

This is the time our constitutional experts, Supreme Court and Congressmen revisit the status of BCCI and make sure it serves the true interests of our nation as opposed to serving their personal interests.

We are more than a billion people and there is no dearth for true talents in our country. Unfortunately true talents never get any opportunities because of our bias, favoritism, and high-level corrupt practices. In the true interest of our nation, we need to open cricket to public organizations that can build a champion team, and also share their profit with us. Will our lawmakers and politicians take this up and come up with a bill to privatize cricket, which can be in the better interests of our nation than leaving it to BCCI and a bunch of selectors (who never got directly elected by people of India) exploiting the emotion of our innocent civilians.

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Mohan Kalyanasundaram

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