Howzatt Dalmiya, Incoming Southpaw
Ganguly
The elevation of businessman, insightful cricket
commentator, and former India test cricket team captain Saurav Ganguly, to the
post of president of the Cricket Association Of Bengal (CAB), has been welcomed
by all observers.
Ganguly is not new to the CAB however, as he has
been holding down the post of a joint secretary of the 117 member CAB for some
time now. His vacated seat will now be taken up by the late former president
Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son, Abhishek; once more at the instance of the chief
minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee.
That both
appointments have the express and enthusiastic backing of the chief minister
makes the unanimous ratification of the
appointments not only all but certain, but also renders the positions powerful.
Banerjee has indicated her mind on the matter within days of the sudden demise
of the longstanding previous occupant of the post, the feisty, capable and
visionary Jagmohan Dalmiya.
But the big departure here, which may have the
makings of an emerging trend in Indian cricket administration, is that a
celebrated cricketer has been pitch-forked into this top job. And this, with
full political backing, and an announcement, from the all-in-all chief minister
of West Bengal. Will Saurav Ganguly, very popular with the masses in Kolkata
and in the interiors of West Bengal, now also join the Trinamool Congress
before the Bengal Assembly elections, coming up shortly? Time will tell.
Indian and international cricket, has been tainted
of late, by match-fixing, nepotism, hawala and black money involvement, large
scale illegal betting, involving millions of dollars, and other corrupt
practices. A crowded calendar of 20 overs and 50 overs fixtures in addition to
the national test jousts have given cricketers and the entire sporting/commentating
and advertising/media industry that has grown up around them, a lot of
exposure, money, and temptation.
But trying to
quell this raciness via the appointment of cricketers, however honest and sincere,
to top administrative jobs has not always worked so well in other states so far.
This, without naming names, is probably because these cricketers have not been
anointed and installed with such solid political backing, and have had to
contend with a plethora of vested interests.
But in West Bengal, Ganguly is its most prominent
cricketing legend, and is felt to be a good choice. And this, not just by the
chief minister, but by other members of the CAB, the public and commentators at
large. He combines daring and risk taking ability with tact and team-spirit
building acumen, a business background, an illustrious career as a former test
cricketer and national captain, as a cricket commentator, sports icon and so on.
He also is not yet touched by any financial scandal throughout his career.
That Ganguly should be lifted up to the apex
position in West Bengal’s cricket administration therefore, seems thoroughly
logical, and his high and glamorous profile could well improve the prospects of
the CAB.
Also, Ganguly is not only financially well-to-do,
both from the proceeds of his family printing and other businesses, and in his
own right as a cricketer in the era of big money remuneration and lucrative
endorsements. He is a star of the game, universally known in his home state,
plus nationally and internationally. Saurav Ganguly brings, as a consequence, a
natural and well-earned authority to the appointment.
Commentators are saying that it will fall to
Ganguly’s business acumen, persuasiveness and experience to fill Dalmiya’s
administratively capable shoes. He will also need to enhance the finances of
the CAB by striking suitable and far-reaching commercial deals. Dalmiya was an
early pioneer in this regard, and got the ball rolling a long time ago.
Some people, who regard Ganguly as the best ever
India team captain, expect him to find, in addition, another ace cricketer or
even a clutch of them, like himself, from the soil of West Bengal. This despite
the infamous reservations of Greg Chappell who did not see eye to eye with
Ganguly, even though he had been initially taken on as national coach at
Ganguly’s suggestion. The jury is still out on that fracas, but it is true a
lot of fresh blood did enter the national team at the time, and instance, not
of Ganguly, but Chappell!
Ganguly has promptly accepted the challenge, after a
meeting with the chief minister, who does not have anything formally or
directly to do with the CAB, though she clearly wants the organisation raised
to new heights of accomplishment.
Of course, as she pointed out, even now, three of
her state cabinet colleagues are ensconced in it, and will be tasked to help
Ganguly do his job. The marriage of politics and the wildly popular game of
cricket in the subcontinent, and beyond, replete with big money and great power
in recent decades, has actually been in place for quite a long time.
What an accomplished cricketer at the helm can do is
recognise and draw new talent based on sheer merit rather than other extraneous
considerations to a much greater degree. Going forward, this will have, if all
goes well as expected with Ganguly, a highly favourable impact, not only in the
doings of the CAB, but at the national level in the BCCI, and in various other
state cricket associations.
But of course, just as not every gifted cricketer
can bring the skills of a captain to bear on a team, even fewer may have the
administrative skills to run an association cohesively and coherently. In
Ganguly’s case, with his various other preoccupations and involvements, the CAB
is unlikely to receive his undivided attention, and that fact too will take its
toll.
This is also the reason why businessmen, politicians
and not a few fixers, feature in the promotion of cricket and football and
their administrations, and not just in this country.
Yet, there is an undeniable need for change,
particularly to clean up the murkiness when it comes to new players, team
selections, and the handling of finances/opportunities. The viewing and ticket
buying public deserve best team winning sport and not the charade of fixed
matches!
It remains to be seen if ‘Dada’ is up to the task.
What is known however is that he not afraid of the challenge, and success in
the CAB could well launch him into national level sports administration, and even
a promising political career.
For: Swarajyamag
(1,059 words)
September 27th, 2015
Gautam Mukherjee
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