This business of being World no. 1

If this isn’t a farce, nothing ever is and will be. Some might call it corrective action, but the cynic and the critic I am, I’d call it a late realization, a desperate attempt to avoid flak from world over and of course, face-saving at constantly being accused as a Board that wants to kill Tests, which unfortunately the BCCI is doing, ever so successfully.

So, as we learnt today, the BCCI has sent Cricket South Africa a request, an incredibly late one of re-modifying their originally re-modified tour into a 2-Test and 3-ODI tour (Read: the original tour was supposed to be a 3-Test, 5-ODIs one). Superb. So, what was supposed to be a three-test series between two teams that are currently on top of the ICC Test Rankings, whose credibility is as good or as bad or as ugly as the Liberhan report (depends on which side you’re from) – are playing just two Tests. Why didn’t the original tour schedule stick ? Because an additional test would have breached the IPL schedule Sir Lalit Modi might have designed. And now, two ODIs are being sacrificed for two tests. I must commend the wisdom of the BCCI. I leave it to your judgment and respected opinion to tell me if this is a farce or not.

Now, the other argument. Some of them would reconcile to the fact that, the BCCI must be commended for taking prompt action and as a TV journalist put it today (I won’t take names, I know him) – “protect” Test cricket. Sorry, this isn’t protecting Test cricket. This is a mask of intense desperation to defeat the already strong opinion about how India is working all out and formally to kill Test cricket and of course, an attempt to give it’s team the perfect platform to save it’s World no. 1 ranking, by which the BCCI believes it won’t draw flak. A farce at best. So, if the BCCI was so hellbent on protecting (read: not promoting), I mean, why re-modify the original itinerary  ? And worse, hold five ODIs instead of a full-fledged Test series ? Their answer would be, hell yes, “South Africa visited India in March/April 2008 and played 3 Tests, so we’re just hosting the ODI-leg of the tour.” – now that sounds like a decent explanation. Over the years, India vs South Africa tours have been split into Tests/ODIs (2004 – 3 Tests and 2005 – 5 ODIs) and the last time, South Africa visited India for a full-tour was in 2000 – 2 Tests in Mumbai/Bangalore and that Hansie Cronje series (which no one will and must forget). At the end of all this, can someone offer me a decent explanation, please ?

Let the BCCI not make a fool of itself. The world, and yes I’ve worked in the UK, reported cricket from there, is laughing at the BCCI. No jokes. About time we do everything in our powers to give Test cricket the sort of respect it deserves. Yes, play the IPL – no one is stopping you from doing so. But, hey, don’t compromise on this one format of the game, that’ll live on regardless of Lalit Modi, please.