BCCI Breaks Its Own Rule (10 Dec 1995)

BCCI breaks its own rule

By Our Cricket Correspondent

MADRAS, Dec. 10.

It is quite ironical that M. Azharuddin, the Indian captain, will be skipping the Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu which begins at Chepauk on Sunday.

Azharuddin has been asked to be present in Calcutta on Monday for the Technical Committee meeting of INDCOM in preparation for the Wills World Cup of 1996.

Only a month ago Azhar had been asked to explain his absence from the Hyderabad XI in a Wills Trophy fixture. He did sort it out later with the Board but only after facing acute embarrassment over the issue.

The BCCI had made it a rule for the season that the Indian players should make themselves available for domestic cricket. Azhar explained away his absence from that limited-overs match by saying he had informed his home association, HCA, that for personal reasons he was not available for that fixture.

The issue got blown up by the media with some writers going to the extent of asking whether there was one rule for the captain and another for the rest. And the Board which served notice on Azhar to explain his conduct had been seen to act more under intense media pressure than to establish a principle though the principle that the Indian players must play domestic cricket also itself is sound enough.

The irony is inescapable when the same BCCI is now asking Azhar to skip a first class game in order to make himself available for a crucial Technical Committee meeting on the eve of the World Cup. When it comes to convenience what is sacrificed is, invariably, a principle.

Source :: The Hindu