I.S.Bindra

Calcutta: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has “no desire” to dominate the running of the game globally, but certainly wishes to be the “engine for growth.”

That message was conveyed to the board of directors of Cricket Australia (CA) by former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra during an informal session at the Aitken Hill resort, some 40 minutes away from Melbourne, on Friday.

Bindra, the first BCCI representative to be invited to CA’s annual “brainstorming” exercise, is also the International Cricket Council’s principal adviser-designate.

He’ll assume office, so to say, after the forthcoming AGM.

Not too long ago, the BCCI and CA would be at loggerheads on most issues, but relations have improved significantly. Some of the credit for that must go to Bindra.

In fact, Bindra played a key role in getting CA, headed by Creagh ’Connor, to soften its stand on Harbhajan Singh during the monkey-row in January.

Had negotiations broken down, relations between the two boards would’ve gone back to the bad old days.

“I spoke to the directors on three issues — the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is being telecast live on Channel Ten, the opportunities for advancing the game in North America and China and the role I’ll be taking up with the world body,” Bindra told The Telegraph on Saturday.

Speaking from the Park Hyatt in Melbourne, Bindra added: “The interaction began in the afternoon and as it was informal in nature, continued over cocktails and dinner… The CA’s directors, I believe, will understand the BCCI even better now…”

According to Bindra, one of the questions raised was whether the IPL could be replicated. “It certainly can and that’s what I told the directors… The IPL will continue to benefit players and CA recognises that… The younger players stand to gain the most as they’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the very best in the business. It’s a win-win situation.”

Collaborating in North America, a pet project of Bindra’s, is on the cards and there could soon be movement forward on that front.

“India and Pakistan, you may recall, started the Sahara Cup (in Toronto) in the mid-Nineties… It ran for three years till problems cropped up… There definitely are plans for North America,” Bindra pointed out.

There’s potential in China too.

Bindra signed off by saying: “There’s nothing that can’t be done once the BCCI and CA come together… Henceforth, if anything, our ties will get stronger.”