A hurting maelstrom

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has a dubious record of dealing shabbily with its own players. From time immemorial, dumping cricketers and coaches and not respecting them one bit for their efforts is well known. The latest in the saga is the way the BCCI has handled the stepping down of Virat Kohli as Test captain.

Indian cricket fans have great memories. Old-timers still remember how Kris Srikkanth was dumped as captain when he stood up for the cause of his players. Since then, and before that, too, captains being sacrificed was common. Just that, in the case of Kohli, there is a clear case of wanting him out as he dared to speak.

For a man with 40 wins in 68 Tests, Kohli's record is superb. From the time he started speaking the truth, the BCCI bosses, notably Sourav Ganguly, got uncomfortable. Kohli must have been well aware when he addressed the press conference (virtual) in Mumbai before the team left for South Africa that he could face the repercussions.

Just to jog the readers' memory, there is a great degree of variance in what Kohli said and what the BCCI had conveyed to the media through plugs and plants. It is well known that Ganguly has his cronies in the media whom he uses to a nicety. So, most of what you get to read in newspapers is minus attribution to any official in the BCCI.

Over a week has passed since the time Kohli decided to give up Test captaincy after India lost the series to South Africa. He had a chat with coach Rahul Dravid and his teammates, and then made his decision public after speaking to the BCCI. One is not sure what exactly transpired between Kohli and the BCCI officials. What is certain is that the BCCI Super President, Ganguly, never tried to convince him to remain captain.

It shows the arrogance, not aura, of Dada — as Ganguly is popularly known. Here was a great chance for Ganguly to emerge as a leader and talk to Kohli. Instead, what transpired was the BCCI putting out on social media a day later its "Thank You" message, which lacked sincerity.

To rewind, relations between Kohli and the BCCI have been blowing hot and cold for a few months. Since the time Kohli decided to give up T20 captaincy last year, there have been cold vibes. The BCCI may have been right in sticking to one captain for white-ball cricket, but the latest maelstrom is going to hurt Indian cricket in the long run.

At the cost of sounding cliche, it can be said that the game is bigger than its players. At the same time, the BCCI bosses also need to realise that the game is bigger than them. Sadly, Ganguly has shown his true colours of not being a cricketer at heart but a man with a lot of vengeance.

In any leadership role, the biggest person as head, be it a President or CEO, has to swallow some amount of his or her pride. Ganguly has not done that and Indian Test cricket finds itself in a mess. It's well known that Kohli called the shots as captain and had a fantastic relationship with coach Ravi Shastri.

That cracks and crevices showed up with Rahul Dravid as coach is a poor sign of The Wall not dealing with issues pragmatically. There are reports trickling in that show there were differences between Kohli and Dravid on team selection for the final Test. That seems to have been the flashpoint for Kohli to say goodbye, though, as of now, he plans to stay as a player. Whether the BCCI selection committee and Dravid want him as a player or not, time will tell.

People are already making comparisons between Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin gave up captaincy quite early and was happy to play under relatively junior players. That was his way of wanting to make a contribution as a batsman and role model. He got along with all his teammates, best exemplified by that one picture of him hugging the trophy after India won the World Cup in 2011 in Mumbai.

The difference between 2013, when Sachin Tendulkar retired after his 200th Test, and today is that Kohli has been haunted. Agreed, he may not have scored a century in a long time but that does not diminish his contribution. The BCCI is well within its right to change captains, where having one captain for white-ball cricket and another for red-ball cricket is logical. However, to have gotten rid of Kohli the Test captain smacks of ego, where the BCCI seems least bothered about the future.

Kohli has set high standards abroad. He instilled in the players a sense of confidence to play without fear and changed the whole mindset. The outpouring of messages from his colleagues on relinquishing captaincy, including the one from R Ashwin tells a few stories. Kohli may have had his aggressive style which was questioned by many former cricketers including Gavaskar and Gautam Gambhir. Kohli was not one bit bothered as he played with pride and passion.

Will Kohli's successor(s) be able to produce that spark, that heat, remains to be seen. The choices for Test captaincy are not too bright. To name Rohit Sharma would be illogical as given his frequent body breakdowns, he may not last in all formats. Ajinkya Rahane was a good stand-in captain but was stripped of vice captaincy before the tour to South Africa. He finds himself among ruins, not runs. So, he can forget about getting that job.

All talk of KL Rahul as Test captain is nice to hear. Pray, what has he done to deserve this honour? Ashwin may be a great choice but age may not be on his side. If the BCCI wants some kind of stability in the short run, they may still plump for Ashwin. There is a huge debate over one man who is young and picks himself in every format, Rishabh Pant.

Pant has proved himself as a good wicket-keeper and someone who bats with flair. The sad part is flair bordering on recklessness goes against him. As a wicket-keeper, he gets the best view. As the Delhi Capitals captain in the IPL, Pant has shown he likes the leadership role.

Even as the BCCI scratches its head on who to pick as Test captain, there are problems galore. In 2022, the ICC World T20 will be held in Australia. In 2023, India will host the ICC World Cup (50-over format). Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have to prove themselves in these two competitions as the reason for getting rid of Shastri and Kohli was that they had not won big trophies.

Does India have the talent base to go with a nucleus of players who can play only Tests? No, because such thinking has been alien to the BCCI. Their planning has been pathetic, their man management has been worse and above all, Ganguly himself has been hanging on to the chair like a squatter. The BCCI elections were due long ago and nobody is talking about it today.

So, where does Kohli go from here? He has shown a trait which resembles MS Dhoni. He will not hang around and behave like a chamcha, as they say in the North. Kohli is the typical West Delhi boy for whom aggression and muttering expletives below his breath are natural. He had channelized that aggression into the form of winning.

Will Kohli be the next Tendulkar, time will tell. He is good enough to play another few years of top-class cricket as he has worshipped his own body like a temple. His fitness is top class and he can contribute a lot as a mentor to the next set of leaders. Kohli knows he will score runs, minus the pressure of leadership on his shoulders.

Today, Kohli doesn't need to play for any records. It's Indian cricket which needs him around for a few years. Will the BCCI Prez let that happen or will Kohli give up playing altogether? It could become reality as Kohli has always breathed freely as a master and not servant.

Thanks champion.

Views expressed are personal