Pawar Play knocks out Dalmiya

By John Cheeran
I can only compare the outcome of today’s BCCI elections to Indian team’s tour to Pakistan in 1989 when Krishanamachari Srikkanth led the side. For the first time India drew a Test series in Pakistan. It was a departure from the past indeed. The reason was neutral umpires.
The single most important thing in today’s BCCI elections was the presence of former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy as the neutral umpire. That ensured that Jagmohan Dalmiya could not get away with his dirty tactics. He could not act as the umpire and bowler during the election and it was reflected when the votes were counted.
Sharad Pawar, Union Minister for Agriculture from Mumbai, has beaten Ranbir Singh Mahendra, who acted as soothsayer for a beleaguered Sourav Ganguly, 20-11 to become the president.
Last year Pawar was thwarted in his attempt by Dalmiya’s casting vote. Pawar had said in the aftermath of that defeat that Dalmiya had acted as both umpire and bowler. This time round Pawar lobbyists had brought pressure that neutral umpire was there.
End of Dalmiya and his caucus is good news for Indian cricket. There is no point in wallowing in customary cynicism since a politician has taken over the reins of Indian cricket. As a politician and a Union Minister Pawar, after all, is accountable to common man. To whom were Dalmiya accountable all these days? Not even to his cronies.
Impact of this election result will be felt in Indian cricket team’s rendezvous with future. The first one to realize that will be none other than the deposed Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.
It would be interesting to see what predictions Ranbir Singh Mahendra and Bejan Daruwala will make now.