For media-wary Indians, divine intervention is a blessing in disguise

For media-wary Indians, divine intervention is a blessing in disguise

Dhaka, May 28: The rain did not stop. The opening match of the Asia Cup was abandoned in the hope that it could be played on Monday. There was a time during the day when the sun did make a desperate attempt to break through the clouds. But it turned out to be a false dawn. The faint rays were no match for the thick and formidable cloud cover hanging over the city and it was back to the murky, gloomy light. There seem to be little prospect for the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match to get underway even on Monday and if the rain does not stop immediately, the whole tournament could become a no-starter.

Mercifully, he obliged, but what he had to say was not very encouraging. ``The coach and the captain will not be talking to the press,'' he announced. `How was that possible' was the expected reaction. Would they not talk to the press at all? ``They will, but after the match,'' was the only assurance Chakravarty could give.

Many questions were raised but the answer was that the team management has decided that they would not talk to the press. Was this the Board directive? ``No, it was the decision of the team management -- Kapil, Ganguly and don't leave out me from it, '' he replied.

Nothing could budge Chakravarty from his stand and sensing the futility of arguement, no one forced the manager to stretch his explanations to meaningless nothings.

Obviously, the impact of the sensational undercover operations, and revelations made through them, has left the players shocked and those who are `suspects' are depressed. And whatever be the `service' Messrs Prabhakar and company may have done to the `nation', they have left cricket correspondents here clueless.

That players can be recorded even off-guard and nothing can be assumed to be off the record means that a journalist has become `suspect' in the eyes of a player. And with so much suspicion in the air and `match-fixing' now being accepted as a reality, the relationship between those who play and those who comment on it is bound to become very strained.

They are going to be further tested once India play their first match -- on June 30 against Bangladesh -- as any mistake on the part of a player can be interpreted in various ways. Coach Kapil has been quoted as saying in Delhi before leaving for Dhaka, that his team has not been affected by the `fixing' controversy and they will give their best.

Easier said than done as the pressure on those whose names are being bandied around as culprits will be immense. Even the `innocents' may get terrified at the thought that one bad shot, one bad ball or a lapse on the field will take them closer to the radius of `suspects'.

It is quite possible that the team sees the divine intervention as a boon. If the possibility of not a single match in the tournament taking place beacomes a reality then it will leave the players safe in the confines of their rooms.