KEY POINTS:
The BCCI might still hold all the cards - and most of the revenue - but their trenchant position on the Indian Cricket League (ICL) is looking more isolationist by the day.
Close ally, in cricket terms anyway, Pakistan was the latest to tempt the wrath of Lalit Modi and his BCCI cronies by suggesting his board brings its ICL 'rebels' back into the fold.
This follows a complaint by the BCCI to the ICC over comments that its Cricket Committee chairman, Clive Lloyd, made. He had the audacity to suggest the ICL and BCCI-controlled Indian Premier League (IPL) should learn to co-exist.
Now would probably not be a good time to tell them that New Zealand Cricket's newly appointed general manager of cricket, Geoff Allott, is very keen to bring former protege Shane Bond straight back into the fold, even if it is in a coaching role, when he takes up his job in the new year.
With India touring in April, you can guarantee there will be no public utterances on the matter coming out of Christchurch HQ but the Herald on Sunday understands Bond and Allott have talked.
Yesterday, Cricinfo reported that Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain and newly appointed director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board, wanted to take the PCB in a different direction in regard to the ICL than his predecessors.
At least 19 Pakistani players are involved in the ICL, which has a team based in Lahore, ruling them out of national selection.
"There is a lot of public pressure on the PCB to bring these players back from the ICL," Miandad told Cricinfo. "The [ICL] players themselves are ready to represent
Pakistan. The IPL, the ICL and all boards need to sit down and really sort this issue out," Miandad said. "Past decisions were taken by past administrations. They have nothing to do with this new set-up."
Perhaps the keenest observation from Miandad was when he placed the bans in a historic context, noting that ICL 'rebels' were being treated the same as players who travelled to South Africa.
"Those bans were based on an intelligent policy. What was happening there was abhorrent," Miandad noted. "What is the intent behind this ban?"
Miandad's comments come after Sri Lanka cricket boss Arjuna Ranatunga allowed six ICL players to participate in their domestic competition, overturning an earlier ruling.
The England and Wales Cricket Board's attempts to prevent ICL players securing county contracts have proven to be legally hopeless and this week Daryl Tuffey will turn out for Auckland following a stint in the ICL.
The BCCI, judging by its reaction to Lloyd's "co-existence" comments, will not cede quietly. Secretary N. Srinivasan emailed ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat in complaint. Lorgat will consider the matter.
So those excited that this schism will be repaired should note the golden rule: he who holds the gold (India), makes the rules.
