here is a story about N K P Salve that people in cricket circles are fond of relating. Twenty four years ago, Salve, then president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was so incensed by the MCC's (Marylebone Cricket Club) refusal of his request for two extra passes for the 1983 India-West Indies final at Lord's Cricket Ground that he vowed to take the World Cup competition out of England. Not only did he manage to get the next event to India, he - and later, Jagmohan Dalmiya - put the BCCI on track to become the richest and - possibly - the most powerful cricket board in the world.

There is a similar story about Essel Group supremo, Subhash Chandra. Stung, by what it feels was the BCCI's unreasonable refusal to grant ZEE Sports (an Essel company) the broadcast rights for the 2003 World Cup and the five year telecast rights in 2004, Chandra went into action four months ago and announced the formation of the Indian Cricket League (ICL).... more