THE INDEPENDENCE DAY FOR INDIAN CRICKET

It was great to see Mr. Sharad Pawar win the elections for the post of the President of the Board of Cricket Control of India thereby putting to an end the Colonial rule of Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya and winning freedom to Indian Cricket.

This is not to undermine the achievements and contributions of Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya to Indian Cricket. He has definitely done a lot to the cause of Indian Cricket and Asian Cricket making it a power to reckon in the World map of Cricket culminating in his becoming the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

But as we call it in Economic terms that anything beyond certain levels result in diminishing marginal utility, the same was the case with the administration of Mr. Dalmiya too. Power is healthy only so long as it helps you in being a good leader. Beyond a certain level Power becomes unhealthy when it makes you an autocratic leader. History has it that autocratic leaders have never survived for long and never contributed to the success of their empires. It was no different with Mr. Dalmiya when he tried to become the Sole Proprietor of Indian Cricket.

As a cricketer of yesteryears had rightly put it, one must retire when everybody asks ‘Why’ and not ‘Why not’. Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya would have been regarded in high esteem if he had chosen to retire after his tenure as Chairman of the ICC. The President of BCCI is an honorary post meant for people with a passion to serve the cause of Indian Cricket which Mr. Dalmiya did perform splendidly for quite some time. But when the passion to serve transforms into passion to own, that is when the diminishing marginal utility sets in.

Finally Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya definitely deserves a special honour for the great and long service he has rendered in the Promotion of Indian and Asian Cricket, but at the same time I am sure he would appreciate the “Retirement” as a concept also has a lot of relevance in the life of every human being.