'Tragic beyond description' - Dungarpur

The Cricket Club of India was buzzing with activity following the announcement that a Chennai court had held up the appointment of Ranbir Singh Mahendra and SK Nair, the new president and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Raj Singh Dungarpur, a former Board president who was actively involved in the recent elections, told Wisden Cricinfo late on Friday evening: "It is a black day for Indian cricket. That it should have come during the platinum-jubilee celebration is tragic beyond description."

Dungarpur has been a vociferous critic of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI's former president and new patron-in-chief, and went on: "Dalmiya and his coterie of supporters, who were tantamount to blind supporters, have left the board in a mess."

When asked why, then, Dungarpur had voted in favour of Dalmiya being appointed patron-in-chief, he explained: "I voted for him because I didn't want to spoil the party. I felt he had worked hard enough to earn the position of patron.

"But a patron is one who patronises, not one who organises," he added. "The Maharaja of Patiala was a genuine patron. He brought Arthur Gilligan's MCC team to India in 1926. CK Nayudu hit 11 sixes for the Hindus against them and India found a hero. Patiala brought Jack Ryder's team to India soon after - that was the act of a patron."

The recent Board elections were fought in acrimonious circumstances, and Dungarpur has plenty to say on the subject. "Dalmiya, for the first time ever, realised he was up against it. His kingdom was rocked." During the elections, representatives from Maharashtra and Rajasthan were barred from voting, following which Mahendra and Sharad Pawar had polled 15 votes each. Dalmiya then cast the deciding vote in Mahendra's favour. Dungarpur claims: "Asking the representatives of Maharashtra and Rajasthan to leave the meeting was a death knell to the democracy of the board."

The way the television-rights issue was handled came in for particular criticism. "The way Dalmiya handled that was there for all to see. It is not a secret that the marketing committee voted 6-2 in favour of Zee, and that Dalmiya was one of the two who voted against. He has ignored all statutory requirements when it comes to convening meetings and has done things at the shortest notice. The BCCI traditions of 75 years have been thrown to the gates. And when it comes to the main management of cricket, pardon me for saying so, Mr Dalmiya knows very little."

And Dungarpur concluded: "When the great Sir Don Bradman was not indispensable to the Australian cricket team, why should Dalmiya be indispensable to the BCCI?"

Inderjit Bindra, another former president known for his anti-Dalmiya stance, also had some strong words. "It's a dark day, and one where those involved with running cricket in India, including me, should reflect about the manner in which we have been conducting ourselves in the recent past. No-one is bigger than the game itself."