There is an enormous difference between a voluntary exit and a forced one under a shadow. It was up to Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, arguably India?s most high-profile cricket administrator, to take the first route, but by clinging on, he has now been compelled to take the latter one. What is worse, his suspension from attending the meetings of the Board of Control for Cricket in India comes in the trail of a series of allegations regarding misappropriation of funds. It is important to underline the point, often forgotten in India, that allegations are by no means synonymous with guilt. The appropriate authorities are investigating the charges against Mr Dalmiya, and till such time his guilt is proven, he remains innocent. This is not to hold a brief for Mr Dalmiya but to uphold a fundamental principle which is often overlooked. In fact, Mr Dalmiya himself overlooked it. When he ruled the roost, he had suspended those who opposed him after hurling allegations against them. He is now the victim of something that he himself had started. Two wrongs, however, do not make a right, and those at the helm of affairs in the BCCI should ensure that the charges against Mr Dalmiya do not acquire the dimensions of a shoddy vendetta.

It is undeniable that when Mr Dalmiya was head of the BCCI, Indian cricket administration entered the international arena. This process was, of course, helped by the fact that in the Nineties, cricket emerged as the most popular game in south Asia. Mr Dalmiya took full advantage of the circumstances and made it clear that since money in cricket came from south Asia, the latter should call the shots. Under him the de facto headquarters of world cricket shifted to India. Despite this achievement, Mr Dalmiya refused to relinquish his control over the local levers of power. He chose to dominate the Cricket Association of Bengal, the BCCI and the International Cricket Council all at the same time. His indomitable greed for power was at the root of the circumstances that has brought about his suspension. In an era when the need was to professionalize the administration of cricket, Mr Dalmiya sought to set up a feudal empire where he held all the strings of power. There was always doubt about who was more important, the man or the game. Mr Dalmiya should not be too disappointed with the discovery that his plight brings forth very little sympathy from cricket lovers.