Match-fixing — It’s time to settle old scores

Now the two halves of that powerful combine, Inderjit Singh Bindra, a bureaucrat and Jagmohan Dalmiya, successful businessman, cannot stand the sight of each other. They spit venom at the very name of the other, they will stop at nothing to try and harm the other. If Bindra on Wednesday says that he only wants to clean world cricket, don’t be fooled: that aim of his will only be incidental. And if he is back into cricket politics with a vengeance, it is because he sees this as the perfect chance to hit back at the man who tormented him and isolated him over the last three years.

Dalmiya for the present has kept quiet on the Bindra outbursts, but make no mistake, he will strike back at the opportune moment. As he has through his career. The successful businessman has a clock ticking inside that shrewd brain, which tells him when the time is ripe. And with the kind of control he has over Indian cricket and its Board, he need not even be in the forefront.

In the meantime, both have forgotten that world cricket is in danger. Bindra alleges every match is `fixed’ and every player is `involved’ in some manner; and Dalmiya says that cricket is still clean but for a few rotten eggs. Believe neither, for both are miles off the truth, which is: Cricket stinks, but not every match is `fixed’ — even the bookies can’t be that stupid.

So when and how did the two best friends fall out and become sworn enemies? Insiders say it was a combination of various forces but the two main reasons were the lure of the ICC crown and their alleged alignment with rival TV production houses.

Till the World Cup was on in the sub-continent, every thing was hunky dory. Bindra was the President, and Dalmiya the secretary. But Bindra whose term as the President was running out in September 1996, is believed to have wanted to head a new committee, which was to take care of marketing. Once Bindra went out, the committee never happened and that insiders say was the beginning of the rift, which soon developed into so big a chasm that there was no chance of it being bridged.

In the meantime, there came the question of who would be the Indian nominee to be the ICC President. Bindra’s supporters say he was the man more acceptable globally, but Dalmiya scuttled it. Add to that the rotation principle which Dalmiya agreed to. That meant India’s next chance to have an ICC president would come after a full 30 years. Bindra called it a sell-out, but his friend-turned-foe pointed out that he (Bindra) was a signatory to the decision.

Then followed the mother of all issues: TV rights. Dalmiya alleged that Bindra signed a deal with Pepsi just before giving up office, and the latter claimed the former was favouring WorldTel. In time, the buzz was Bindra that was TWI’s man and Dalmiya was WorldTel’s man. Both denied their alignments vehemently and blamed the other for spreading rumours.

Those who wanted to make their inferences could, but it was clear that WorldTel became more and more powerful and TWI’s star was on the wane. When the time came for the 1997 BCCI elections, Bindra put up his former rival, D C Agashe (who opposed him in 1993) against Raj Singh Dungarpur. Agashe lost, Dungarpur won and stayed at the helm for three years, but it is common knowledge that he was Dalmiya’s man.

Dalmiya claimed Bindra was using political and bureaucratic help to garner votes; Bindra alleged that Dalmiya was instigating a CBI probe against him in the case regarding acquisition of land for Mohali Stadium.

In the meantime, A C Muthaiah, a highly successful businessman from south and son of the great administrator M A C Chidambaram, was on the ascendant. It is said he was the one who tilted the scales in Dalmiya group’s favour at the acrimonious Chennai AGM in 1997. A successor had been found.

Three years on, Muthaiah is the President of the BCCI. Dalmiya is in total control of the Indian cricket Board. Bindra has been cleared of CBI charges, but his isolation is complete: and nothing indicated it more starkly than Wednesday’s press conference, where he came virtually all alone — but for his wife.