Arun Lal is scared a bit

KOLKATA: Arun ''Piggy'' Lal is a sort of a guy you always knew well. A pal to some, friendly uncle to others and a bloke who could be counted upon to stand up and take a stand when it mattered. Though his choice as the secretary of the ICPA may have come as a surprise to some, the just-born ICPA couldn''t have had a better pointman.
It''s a battle-hardened Lal whom the Indian cricketers chose when the messy contract controversy erupted during the tour of England. For the first time, all communication between the players and the BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya snapped. "That was the catalyst that led to the formation of the ICPA. The contract mess has to be sorted out," said Lal.
Dwellling further, he says that the players were not taken into confidence. "No player will deliberately do an ad that goes against a tournament sponsor, but the ground rules must be clear. The players are in no position to know who the future sponsors will be."
Unlike in the past, the ICPA looks likely to survive teething problems. "The atmosphere has changed. We hope that the perception that joining a players'' association is anti-establishment goes. But it won''t be easy. I am both scared and optimistic."