BCCI's indecision is also a decision

A quote by famous writer John Powell says "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." This may be apt for the BCCI, looking at the way they are handling the match-fixing scandal. There was a widespread feeling that the scam had reached a climactic stage when BCCI president AC Muthiah said the board would serve the "strictest punishment" after the disciplinary committee met the tainted players for a final hearing on Tuesday. There was a sense of relief that the eight month long soap opera would come to an end.

But to everyone's surprise, Wednesday's special general body meeting of the BCCI at Calcutta turned out to be an anti-climax, when the decision on the punishment on the players named by the CBI in its match-fixing report was postponed. On the other hand, the BCCI has taken an aggressive stand against the premier investigation agency. And to add insult to injury, Muthiah said that the board's decision would be "stricter than the ones taken in similar cases in other countries." But no one is complaining for that's the manner in which the BCCI functions.

After making tall claims, it appears that the BCCI is now soft pedaling on the issue if one goes by the statement made by its president. Muthiah said that the opinion of the house was that the contribution of the players involved should also be considered before announcing the verdict. Muthiah added "Although everyone wants a firm decision, many felt that we should take into account the players' contributions to the nation too in deciding our course of action. The players' past performances could make a difference of say about 30 per cent in their favour when deciding what action is to be taken." This statement looks like a special discount or a rebate for making some huge purchases in a shop.

A section of the board felt that the BCCI may be put into legal hurdles if the players take to legal course of action if they are banned for life. Hence the board's attitude now is to play safe on the back foot and defer the punishment till a legal opinion is obtained. Meanwhile, the former Indian captain Azharuddin is learnt have told a board official that he would file a legal suit should he be banned. This gives an indication that the players may be let off lightly or the board has been put in a fix by the pressure exerted by the players.

People may question as to why he is resorting to the legal course which could also lead to other players following suit. The simple reason is if they are banned, they may lose the financial and other benefits from the board which they are entitled to. Hence they will no doubt go all out and fight for their pie. The second reason is that unlike Hansie Cronje, none of the players have admitted in public to have fixed matches and they would not want to be named as villains.

A divided house and support for players from several quarters including a BCCI vice-president and member of the disciplinary committee is bound to have some effect on the outcome of the decision. The board is not doing a favour by going soft on the players as they are trying to protect themselves for the future since they are under fire from various quarters. Moreover, the CBI has exposed them partially in their report by criticising the BCCI's functioning. With the CBI report on the television rights bungling case to come out shortly, the board seems to be taking the CBI head-on.

With indecision continuing on the part of the BCCI, who are caught in a bind over the vexed issue and given the entire background, it may not be a surprise if the decision on the players due to be arrived at on Monday or Tuesday in Chennai is again postponed. The BCCI, which is in a fix can take solace from an African proverb which says "Indecision is like a stepchild: if he does not wash his hands, he is called dirty, if he does, he is wasting water."