Sir,
I write this letter in my capacity as a long time fan and follower of Indian Sports especially Cricket. At the outset let me clarify that I am as convinced about your skills as a politician as anyone else. The fact that you have survived in the murky waters of Indian politics is an amazing feat in itself and the fact that you have served with distinction various political offices of our democracy makes it even more stupendous. But I would like to point out that cricket is not your usual cup of tea. When all other sports federations of India were busy playing to the fancies of whimsical administrators, Cricket had chosen to chart its own destiny, a destiny free of one thing that is the biggest obstacle to any progressive idea in our country, our government. So while other SFs lined up with their begging bowls at finmins doorsteps before every budget and once the alms were given promptly went to the serious business of arranging foreign trips and stiching blazers, Cricket chose to work on simple economic principles and decided to generate its own funds, develop its own infrastructure and creating its own demand. So when other sports administrators were busy ensuring that no player from their federation becomes more recongnised than themselves, cricket was negotiating with the leading broadcasters of the world to overthrow DDs monopoly over sports broadcasts in India and thus bring to its players and performers the recongnition they deserved. A lot of water has flown through the Brahmaputra since the mid 80s but far sighted decisions taken by the Dalmiya-Bindra administration at that time have stood Indian Cricket in good stead ever since. Fact remains that for a nation undergoing turbulent churning in the early 90s Cricket became the shining example for what a market driven decision making can do for the society. For people like me who got a sense of the world at that time Cricket and its success was the most powerful argument against popular leftist ideas of 80s. Because of Dalmiya-Bindra the 90s saw a shifting of the center of gravity of the world of cricket from the Long Room at Lord's to gullies of mofussil towns in India. India became the most powerful voice in the world of Cricket and BCCI the richest body. What is more important is that it was all only a beginning. Powerful winds of change were promising to herald a new era of professional management for Cricket, and it was looking like it would be cricket to which would go the credit for being the most powerful Indian body in any international fora. But it all seems so distant now. Cricket has proven itself no less susceptible to the vagaries of cheap politics than other sports in India. Sir, my concern for cricket does not stem out of my love for the game only. For many of us cricket and its success represented that one ray of hope which we could cling to in our lives. Cricket, more than a game represented the crystallization of a billion dreams of a safe and secure future in strong resurgent nation for us. Our greatest source of inspiration, strength and hope. It should not have been so, but for a nation let down by other social institutions, it was. The unraveling of this dream would mean the end of hope for many. You and your cronies come from a Mai-Baap system where little stress is put on niceties like taking care of your performers, developing infrastructure and planning for future. This is why I want to restate the importance of having a good administration for cricket. We haven't seen enough of your administrative skills in cricket to comment on them but if you can keep petty politics out of cricket and continue to build on the good work done by your predecessors and forget personal vendetta you would have done a great service to the nation. We still have hope, perhaps more than what we are entitled to, but hope nonetheless. We still continue to have a dream of a proud and prosperous nation. LET IT NOT END.
Yours in Sport,
