A remarkable lack of vision

The Vision 2000 report presented by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to the Government on Monday is a rather unfortunately worded document, clearly showing that it has been prised out of a reluctant Board rather than coming from their own initiative. Indeed the very fact that the Board had to be coerced into producing the document speaks volumes for the ineptness with which it is run. Any professional organisation would have just turned round and slammed the ball into the government's court by saying "Here you are, we already have a vision for the future, take it" rather than spending more than three months on manufacturing one with so little to show at the end of it.

The paper begins with a grand 'mission statement' which reads: a) To nurture the growth of the hallowed game of cricket in India b) To preserve and promote the traditions of the game c) To enable Indian teams to excel on the field whilst displaying the highest ethics and values of the game.

A little later, the paper counts among its aims the following: In Test matches - to achieve No.3 position immediately and No. 1 soon thereafter; ODI's - to achieve No.2 position immediately and No.1 soon thereafter.

This is all very well as a broad set of guidelines and as an ideal to work towards. As you wade further inside you expect that the terms of reference will grow more and more narrow. But you find that under the rubric of 'future goals' lie such ludicrously couched remarks as "To create excellent infrastructure for the game in India" and "To attain excellence in coaching" which are just a combination of words without any meaning attached.

Next there is something called an 'action plan for the future' which raises one's expectations only to bring it plummeting down. It begins with 'setting up of a national cricket academy', an unfortunate statement if there were one, and proceeds further to include: creation of web site for the board, introduction of video feed back system, nomination of medical panel to determine the fitness of players, nomination of medical panel to determine the age of the players of junior cricket, payment of fees on the basis of player's performance, payment of international matches allowance and logo money on the basis of gradation, providing physical training equipment to all state associations.

That in a nutshell is what the paper is all about. Strewn with a succession of bland statements of intent, some unintelligible, others puerile. Those that are neither are not accompanied with any practical suggestions for their fulfillment. At another point, there is the declaration: 'long term planning for 2002 (sic) World Cup to start immediately'. In other words, this is a plan to have another plan! That about sums up the document's worth or lack of it.