Over to the blueeyed boy of BCCI

At 38.5 per cent of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) total revenue in the 2024- 27 cycle, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will earn a whopping $230 million.

Seriously, and only to understand this in relative terms, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) share in the same time period will be 5.75 per cent, or $34.51 million! We will also have to be serious to keep those cash registers ringing.

It is not by favouritism, nor is it by chance that the BCCI has become the chosen one of the international governing body of cricket. Not too long ago, the ICC that was founded in 1909 as Imperial Cricket Conference, wasn’t so generous towards the desi cricket board.

The change of heart came with the multi-fold growth of numbers that matter – fans that flock the stadia in which the gentleman’s game is played and television viewers who crowd the sitting rooms in most Indian households.

As long as this passion for the game in the country stays, so shall the ICC-BCCI bonhomie. This passion, in turn, depends on another number – India’s ‘winnability’. So, keeping this number high in the increasingly competitive sport is thus critical. Nobody wants to associate with losers.

This is where Ajit Agarkar comes into the picture. The third highest wicket-taker for India in One Day Internationals who represented India in the 1999 Cricket World Cup, 2003 Cricket World Cup, 2007 World Cup and was a member of the inaugural 2007 ICC World Twenty20 winning squad needs no introduction.

He proved his all-round credentials by scoring runs at will and at crucial times down the batting order. That he holds the record for the quickest 50 in ODIs by an Indian, coming off just 21 balls, says enough of his utility to the team when he played.

If the Mumbaikar can reprise his playing achievements as chairman of the BCCI selection committee, then India is bound to have a long run of the ICC patronage.

The job may have come to him at a time when there is the problem of too many contenders to pick from, but that surely is a pleasant one. A strong bench ensures that everyone stays on their toes, and that lends edge to the whole exercise.

Living up to the high hopes of a cricket-crazy nation is never easy though. You and your squad also hold the risk of being called “a bunch of jokers” should the team composition not match the expectations of a cocky player.

Again, to satisfy every group, every region that makes up this diverse and lovely country is also a tall order, but not difficult to surmount. In a game that statistics plays a huge role in, choosing the right man for the right job is simple computing. Go for it in the right spirit, and you are unlikely to fail.