The games Indian cricket selectors play

At a time when Indian cricket is riding high, there emerged the incident of the selection committee leak. Despite all speculations and rumours, it is still unclear whether Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had actually threatened to quit or was it a cooked up story.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has quietly pushed it under the carpet. What is surprising is how such a serious matter could be taken so lightly? It could have created divisions in the team and destroyed the players' morale. Fortunately, this did not happen during the Australian series but while playing a weak team like England, who struggled to adapt to Indian conditions.

If Dhoni did protest and someone within leaked the news, then that individual should be suspended. It was nothing but an irresponsible act; forget maligning the image of the captain.

On the other hand, if it was a cooked up report, why isn't the board taking action against the newspaper which first published the story? In fact, it should be viewed as a deliberate attempt to create factions within the team. The BCCI did not do it because these are games the selectors play on instruction from the king-makers of Indian cricket when a captain becomes too powerful.

What Dhoni may have done is purely what his predecessors too have done as captain, pressing for the selection of a player in whom he has confidence. Sourav Ganguly was one of the few captains who could get the players he wanted in the team because he was the favourite of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then king-maker of Indian cricket. No one could have become a selector without his backing and hence no one dared question Ganguly.

Even Kapil Dev, the man who led India to World Cup victory and Sunil Gavaskar, who also led India to World Championship had to bow to the pressures of selectors and had trouble leading the team for long. Sachin Tendulkar, despite his popularity, too had to give up captaincy and so did Rahul Dravid.

This only shows how powerful is the lobby that appoints the selectors. It is an open secret that top officials, to remain in power, influence selectors to pick players from their state.

Despite the abundance of talent in India, team selection has never been free and fair. The zonal quota system which destroyed the careers of many talented cricketers still continues. Yes, India may continue winning but it is debatable whether the 15 members are really the best in the country.