Rediff On The NeT: Transcript of the Jagmohan Dalmiya Chat


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The Jagmohan Dalmiya Chat

They said Jagmohan Dalmiya would be cagey, that he would swerve away from the numerous bouncers hurled at him by a worldwide audience. But that was not to be. Dalmiya -- arguably the most powerful official in cricket today -- took guard eagerly a few minutes after 2100 hours and then set out to defend the board's decision to make the Indian side play so many matches...the Srinath burnout... his aborted ICC campaign... his plans for Indian cricket... whether a quota system exists in Indian cricket and so on...

Pradeep (Wed Mar 5 20:55:04 1997 IST):

How does it feel to be among the world's most influential sports officials

Texaco (Wed Mar 5 20:56:59 1997 IST):

Has Dalmiya arrived?

Prabhjot Gill (Wed Mar 5 20:57:24 1997 IST):

Hello, Everybody. This is Prabhjot from Toronto, Canada

Makarand (Wed Mar 5 20:58:00 1997 IST):

How have you planned your ICC chairmanship campaign

Pradeep (Wed Mar 5 20:59:46 1997 IST):

How long are you going to tolerate the remote control of the likes of P.M.Rungta?

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:04:40 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, good evening

rakesh gupta (Wed Mar 5 21:04:47 1997 IST):

is someone going to moderate this? how the questions will be asked? prem will pick questions from live audience?

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:05:29 1997 IST):

Is Mr Dalmiya in?

Suparn (Wed Mar 5 21:05:43 1997 IST):

Hi everyone Mr Dalmiya will be arriving on the Rediff Chat in five minutes time. Thanks

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 5 21:07:24 1997 IST):

Prem is not here with us today. He is celebrating his seventh wedding anniversary. He won't have much time for celebrations once the Test begins tomorrow. Mr Dalmiya will log into the chat from the Maurya cybercafe.

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:07:28 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, Do you feel that Board's tight scheduling is responsible for Srinath's chronic shoulder problem?

dharma (Wed Mar 5 21:08:20 1997 IST):

hi dalmiya are you there

shail (Wed Mar 5 21:09:56 1997 IST):

Prabhjot: what do you think about the Indian team chosen fot the WI tour?

rakesh gupta (Wed Mar 5 21:10:59 1997 IST):

is it ok to submit questioin now? or it has to be asked when he is live?

dharma (Wed Mar 5 21:11:06 1997 IST):

hi guys lets not repeat the questions so that we can have more to con dalmiya

dharma (Wed Mar 5 21:12:32 1997 IST):

congratulations to prem on his wedding anneversary

MOODY MAN (Wed Mar 5 21:13:39 1997 IST):

Don't panic yaar. He will be with us soon.Anyway so says Suparn.

Prabhjot Gill (Wed Mar 5 21:13:55 1997 IST):

Hi shail, I am working with a tele-communications company in Toronto. What I feel about Indian team selection for WI tour is that they may not have enough fire power in their bowling department to bowl out mighty Wi.

shail (Wed Mar 5 21:15:47 1997 IST):

Prabhjot: Had you ever heard about Neol David before ? What do you think about his selection in the team?

rakesh gupta (Wed Mar 5 21:16:07 1997 IST):

is it possible to ask the following two questions when mr. dalmiya is live. 1. why do you think you are qualified to run BCCI ot ICC when you do not have playing/officiating internation cricket? 2. Why is BCCI 'Board of CONTROL of Cricket in India' instead of 'Board of EXPANSION of Cricket in India' or simply 'Cricket Board of India'? or can someone ask these questions as i have to leave. thank you very much at the end please post BCCI's address/email, etc.

JAGMOHAN DALMIYA (Wed Mar 5 21:16:26 1997 IST):

Hello everyone, I am ready for your questions...

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:17:53 1997 IST):

When is Mr Dalmiya expected to arrive?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 5 21:18:21 1997 IST):

Good evening, Mr Dalmiya. It is wonderful to have the most influential man in world cricket on the Rediff Chat. I do hope you enjoy the experience.

Ramadass (Wed Mar 5 21:18:27 1997 IST):

Hi prem, I am ramadass from Atlanta, Can I start asking questions?

Nikhil Lakshman (Wed Mar 5 21:19:54 1997 IST):

Sure, Ram, Prem is not with here tonight, but please go right ahead and ask Mr Dalmiya what you want.

Indian (Wed Mar 5 21:20:32 1997 IST):

Hello Mr dalmiya, How do you rate your chances for the post of ICC cheif this time?

MOODY MAN (Wed Mar 5 21:20:45 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, tell us one thing. You are all for letting our poor chaps play more cricket, right through the year. Haven't you given any thought to how it would affect their fitness. Just look at what happened to poor Srinath now...

Texaco (Wed Mar 5 21:20:51 1997 IST):

Hello Mr Dalmiya,do tell us 'bout this Neol David & why he deserves to be in?

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:21:07 1997 IST):

Do you think the Board's tight scheduling is responsible for Srinath's chronic shoulder problem?

DHARMA (Wed Mar 5 21:22:49 1997 IST):

MR DALMIYA good evening, but all is not well with indian cricket administration, are you not suppose to take the blame now

JAGMOHAN DALMIYA (Wed Mar 5 21:23:29 1997 IST):

Rakesh Gupta: Administration, playing, coaching or umpiring all are part of cricket and they all are complementary and supplementary in nature. A player as a matter of rule can never be the best administrator or an administrator cannot be a player. Undoubtedly , a player-administrator combination is always preferable. Take the case of Sir Colin Cowdrey or Sir Clyde Walcott, they were great players as well as great administrators before they were elevated to the ICC chairman's post. But there are the cases where a player of outstanding quality could not prove himself a equally good administrator. Therefore, for an administrator the need is basic knowledge of cricket, experience in cricket administration and a proven record. If one qualifies on these criteria one can administer any kind of cricketing institution. I am not aware whether I am fit to administer ICC or not. It is for those who elect and for the sports lover like Mr Rakesh Gupta to judge.

A N Jayram (Wed Mar 5 21:23:50 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, it is wonderful to be speaking with a man who should have been the ICC chairman. Do you think you will be more successful in becoming the ICC boss this year? Or will the whities stymie you?

shail (Wed Mar 5 21:23:59 1997 IST):

hello, Mr Dalmiya, How do you rate your chances for the post of ICC cheif this time?

DHARMA (Wed Mar 5 21:24:20 1997 IST):

mr dalmiya why was manojprabhakar not considered

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:25:04 1997 IST):

Would you agree that while marketing the game successfully, you neglected to implement concrete plan about improving the standard of wickets in India?

S K Bhattacharya (Wed Mar 5 21:25:54 1997 IST):

Jagmohanji, Namashkar. I was shocked to read that someone like Polly Umrigar was humiliated by BCCI officials and asked to shut up on one occasion. How could this be tolerated in your regime?

Ramadass (Wed Mar 5 21:25:55 1997 IST):

Hi Mr.Dalmiya, Why do you still have quota system while selecting the players? For example, 2 from east zone, 2 from west etc...

Indian (Wed Mar 5 21:27:12 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, Is it not that the India-A team can tour the Bermuda instead of putting pressure on our senior team?

Pradeep (Wed Mar 5 21:27:16 1997 IST):

Why do they call you dollarMiya ? Is it because you spend lavinshly in foreign exchange ?

DHARMA (Wed Mar 5 21:27:48 1997 IST):

how can you say that a player can not be agood administrator because a player who has played at the highest level knows exactly what it is to play international cricket and the hard facts of international cricket , if non players take to administration then what will be the criteria to become selector , money , politics or friendship

A N Jayram (Wed Mar 5 21:27:50 1997 IST):

If you become ICC chairman, I am sure you have an agenda for world cricket. Since you are this evening chatting to the WORLD, would you like to share that vision with us?

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:27:59 1997 IST):

Polly Umrigar's resignation in disgust is enough to suggest that everything is not well in the BCCI.What is your stand about this episode?

Subbu (Wed Mar 5 21:28:23 1997 IST):

Mr.Dalmiya, i applaud your attempts to head ICC, and try and shake that cobwebbed body out of its white-biased inertia. I hope you can change the way that body functions. please also make sure that the so-called match referees are impartial and that chosen umpires are worthy of the name. On the Indian front, however I lament your excessive zeal. No reasonable team can withstand the rigors of the schedule you are putting the Indian team through. When will you start looking after the team's interests and not merely your own? Why weren't 17 players sent to the WI in the first place? How can you let this team play uniterrupted cricket for a whole year and more?

JAGMOHAN DALMIYA (Wed Mar 5 21:28:28 1997 IST):

Amit: I do not subscribe to your idea. Other countries have an equally or more tight schedule. Still their players do not suffer injury. In our country Kapil Dev played continuously international cricket without any injury whereas players like Younis Ahmed, Dennis Lillie and many others suffered several injuries. And in case of fast bowlers they are more prompt to injuries. Irrespective of their playing schedule.

Pradeep (Wed Mar 5 21:29:01 1997 IST):

Umrigar has given BCCI a bad press. I have wagered that he won't be recommended for ICC match referee assignment by the BCCI though he is eminentlysuited to the job like his contemporaries Reid, Subba Row etc.

JAGMOHAN DALMIYA (Wed Mar 5 21:30:32 1997 IST):

Shail: I do not know. It depends on the voters. But if I get a chance I would like to give a clean effective administration.

Indian (Wed Mar 5 21:30:44 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, Is it not that the India-A team can tour the Bermuda instead of putting pressure on our senior team?

DHARMA (Wed Mar 5 21:30:47 1997 IST):

why is that we should have selectors from zonal basis, when you have the likes of sambran bannerjee, rungta and ramakant desai who can not understand what international cricket is all about and keep talking of zonal selection we have to throw away such petty persons out of the selection board

Chanda R Vinayak (Wed Mar 5 21:31:09 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, good evening and let us wish Sachin and his boys all the very best for the first Test. Will we ever have something systematic like the Australian Cricket Academy to spawn fresh talent? Or will everything be ad hoc?

Amit Karmarkar (Wed Mar 5 21:31:13 1997 IST):

Mr Dalmiya, not a single former cricketer seems to appreciate BCCI's working methods? Why?

Texaco (Wed Mar 5 21:31:44 1997 IST):

Why is there a dearth of pace bowlers?with similar ground conditions Pakisthan produces an amazing number of good fast bowlers

A N Jayram (Wed Mar 5 21:32:39 1997 IST):

You said you would give the ICC a clean administration. Does that mean it is not clean now? And why are so many people in the ICC against you? Is it because they fear you may titlt the balance of power against the ruling elite?

Photographs: Atul Chowdhary

Continued