I understand that the title Lyon about CA and BCCI must be slightly misleading because one will feel that Nathan Lyon, the brilliant Australian spinner, has said something about both Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The first part is correct. He has criticised Cricket Australia. I have included BCCI in this because the thought of any active cricketer criticising the Indian board is unfathomable. Let me try to explain in Lyon about CA and BCCI.
Indian cricketers are not known for being vocal against the board. This is not new. Ever since the BCCI became the current behemoth, anyone and everyone is afraid of raising their voice against the board. The Indian board simply does not allow it. Leave alone dissent, they cannot tolerate even the minute bit of criticism coming their way. They always seem to think that they are beyond any commoner and that a divine right has been bestowed upon them. They seem to think that they are above criticism and that they are absolutely blameless.
I have never seen or read any Indian player, be it Kapil Dev or Gavaskar in the 1970s and 80s or Tendulkar, Dhoni or Kohli say anything against the board even when they deserve it. The reason I have mentioned these players is because they were during their playing days, the absolute star cricketers whom the board will not dare. Yet, they never found it necessary to speak up when the situation warranted.
Lyon’s comments about Cricket Australia
Lyon was contracted by Lancashire to play the entire season of the English County Championship. However, Cricket Australia stepped in and limited his tenure for only 6 games.
“Yeah, it’s definitely not my call,” Lyon told BBC Lancashire.
“That’s the nature of the beast. It’s a business now and Cricket Australia have come over the top and said they want to manage me and hopefully extend my playing career for the next three to four years, whatever it may be.
“It’s disappointing, because I signed here wanting to play all games and even play some T20 cricket and was thoroughly looking forward to that.
“But it is what it is and my hands are tied.”
Lyon does not have any cricket to play until India reaches the shores of Australia towards the end of this year. It would have been perfect for him to play the entire season and keep himself fit and in form. Cricket Australia in the garb of wanting to extend his career has cut short his tenure. Lyon is thoroughly justified in venting his frustration against the parent body.
The case of the ICL
How can anyone forget the case of the ICL? Indian Cricket League that was promoted by Zee Network. This was the precursor to the IPL. When Zee announced this tournament, they invited international cricketers from across the world to participate. Unknown to them at that time, several top international cricketers signed up for the tournament in the hope of making fair amount of money in a short time. How did the BCCI respond to this tournament? It was savage. First, they refused permission to the league on any of the grounds that the BCCI controlled. This was followed by non-recognition of the league itself. Kapil Dev, who was the chairman of the National Cricket Academy and was also associated with the league, was sacked from his post. This was further exacerbated by banning all the players who participated in the league.
The board did not feel satisfied with this. They resorted to banning any foreign player who associated himself with the ICL. The arm-twisted the ICC into issuing a decree that the league would not be recognised unless and until the BCCI recognised it. This was issued by none other than Malcolm Speed, the then chairman of the ICC. The BCCI had lots of power that even the ICC was and is afraid of the board. The extent to which BCCI went to scuttle the initiative was mindboggling.
BCCI and its restrictions
It is a known fact that the Indian board ( I do not have much respect for a self-centred body )has lot of restrictions on the commentators. They are not allowed to comment about the team selection, administration, criticise players to name just a few. This is outrageous. No wonder all the Indian commentators are lame and they do not have much to talk about. They repeat the same thing every now. They are treated as the lackeys of the board. Ravi Shastri’s comments are legendary. Basically, he has become the laughing stock of the commentating world.
Once a commentator is contracted by the production company, he must be free to express himself and not be restricted by some stupid board. If the commentator is not doing justice to his job, he is actually betraying the public. He is withholding information from the public who are depended on the experts to understand the match happenings.
The great commentator Ian Chappell once refused to commentate in one of the India vs Australia series because he did not want to be restricted in his views. He is someone who stands by his principal. I have listened to Nasser, Atherton, David, Warne, Holding and I felt absolutely privileged. They are all so clear and if they felt something is not correct they said so. It is the beauty of commentary. Especially, all of them are former players who has much more insight into the game than the average cricket fan.
Wrapping up Lyon about CA and BCCI
Indian supporters are longing for the day when the board will be criticised severely for all the bad things that they constantly do.