Dalmiya-Bindra rivalry affecting BCCI image: Muthiah

It had to come out in the open sooner or later. The only surprise is that the news emanated from an unlikely place like Paris. But the normally reticent president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India AC Muthiah obviously could not take it any longer. In an interview during a business visit to the French capital, he blamed both ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya and former BCCI chief IS Bindra of using the BCCI to settle personal scores.

This has been known for some time as both still nurture hopes of having some control over the BCCI even if it is from the outside. Muthiah could not be more categorical when he said, ``They are using the board as a forum to settle their own problems. Bindra and Dalmiya have a lot of inter-personal problems. That's why I said it is affecting the image and functioning of the board and we cannot be a mute spectator. We have to take action at some point of time.''

Whatever action is taken - and one hopes it is soon - there is little doubt that Muthiah is right. The running feud between Dalmiya and Bindra, some of their utterances and their general demeanour has certainly affected the image of the BCCI. As it is, in the present crisis, the BCCI has enough on its hand and their cause is not in any way made easier by the Dalmiya-Bindra rivalry. The show cause notice to Bindra is a step in the right direction but one hopes it is only a first step. Their venomous outbursts, particularly since the match fixing scandal broke out, have done much to tarnish the image and impair the functioning of the BCCI. What wonders the two experienced administrators could achieve for Indian cricket if they could only join hands instead of just trying to get at each other!

Indeed, it was only the other day that former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Arif Ali Khan Abbasi appealed to Dalmiya and Bindra to ``bury the hatchet for the sake of Asian cricket.''

Abbasi, who along with Bindra and Dalmiya organised a very successful World Cup in 1996, said in an interview that there was ``no doubt that the war of words between these two very able administrators will hurt cricket in Asia. Right now both should be working together in protecting the interests of Asian cricket. Unfortunately both have erred.''

According to Abbasi, the details of malpractice and match-fixing as alleged by Bindra should have been quietly passed on to CBI while Dalmiya should have tried to convince Bindra to back off from making such remarks.

He was of the view that ultimately some members of ICC, who are keen to break Asia's influence will benefit from Bindra-Dalmiya feud. Soon both the important portfolios of president and secretary will be in hands of Australians and they would like to break the rising status of the Asian Cricket Conference and take control of the big economic presence that Asia holds, he added.

Abbasi has spoken about the damage the feud has caused to Asian cricket. Now Muthiah has come out in the open about the rivalry causing damage to Indian cricket. But will Dalmiya and Bindra, both high profile administrators, heed the warnings?