BCCI acting irresponsibly

In the wake of the BCCI not having given a group of English cricketers the chance to practice on its grounds, Suresh Menon, writing in IBN Live, criticises the board for its unabashed 'muscle-flexing at every turn', and says that it is still far from ready to assume the role of a responsible leader of world cricket.

Firstly, it has passed a rule (law, actually, where the BCCI is concerned) that no foreign players should be allowed to play or practice on any of its grounds in the country without formal permission. And then, to simplify things, it refuses to give permission. What the board hopes to gain by this - apart from a reputation for intransigence and a self-defeating pettiness - is hard to fathom. Yes, the BCCI is the most powerful cricketing body in the world; yes, it controls most of the money; yes, its word is law; yes, it has its views on the DRS and how tours may or may not take place. But such muscle-flexing at every turn and for the slightest reason suggests a lack of confidence and a refusal to play the true leadership role in world cricket.