'BCCI out to malign ICPA'

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">KOLKATA: Ever since Arun Lal agreed to work for the Indian Cricket Players’ Association (ICPA), life had never been easy. But the former Test opener looks unfazed. TNN caught up with him on Tuesday for a chat. Following are the excerpts:<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">How do you foresee BCCI-ICPA relationship as the former sees the later as confrontationist? </span><br /><br />I can’t understand, really.Every time there has been attempt at an organisation like this, the board feels vulnerable and treats it like an opposition. They are not even averse to using ex-players with known agenda to come out with statements aimed at destroying the credibility of those at the helm. Sometimes, these players are even rewarded for such acts.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Do you mean any particular individual...</span><br /><br />Let’s not get into this. All I am trying to say is that we are a representative body of cricketers to safeguard their interests and present their problems before the authorities, and the sooner everyone understands this the better.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">A common grouse is why open a new body when another one, AIC (Association of Indian Cricketers) exists ?</span><br /><br />Let me set the record straight on this. The AIC became defunct because a majority of members refused to renew their subscriptions, while the founder-members also lost all interest once their immediate interests were served. In these last 13 years, nobody including the AIC president, had the time or the inclination to inquire about association’s fate. And suddenly, everybody seems to be talking about it...<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Not a case of once bitten, twice shy with you...</span><br /><br />I’m hopeful. And even now, given the kind of extreme reactions that ICPA is generating, I think there is only 50% chance of the project finally becoming a hit. There is an effort to create a fear-psychosis and I’d like to recall an opinion of one Chief Justice of India who said the average Indian cricketer is so vulnerable that he’d be ready to give away an arm to play for the country.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">With BCCI’s reaction, how can you hope to function? </span><br /><br />We don’t expect BCCI’s formal recognition, for they lack any statesman or a visionary who would encourage any such dialogue instead of unilateral decisions. But once we have the numbers, we can thump the table and make them listen to us. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">The BCCI treasurer says there are three insurance plans in place for the players. Why did ICPA go for another?</span><br /><br />This is the first time I am hearing about it. How many cricketers have actually benefited from it? Somebody like Moloy Banerjee, who played for Bengal in 80s, didn’t receive a single penny from either the BCCI or CAB when he had a life-threatening heart surgery. Recently, Abhay Sharma of Railways, who broke his arm while playing, is yet to receive anything from the board. </div> </div>