The biggest news for a true Indian football fan this week wouldn’t have been the much-awaited commencement of the India Super League (ISL), but the qualification of the Indian U-16 colts for the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup after 16 long years. And the one thing more exciting than their qualification is the way they have done it. Under Bibiano Fernandes’ management, the team hasn’t conceded a single goal playing against Vietnam, Indonesia, or Iran in the group stage. The last time India had qualified from the group stage was back in 2002 and it was four points that time as well. When AIFF had put forward the development of the U-16 team as one of their arguments against IOA’s exclusion of the football team from the Asian Games, many had written it off. However, the progress that the side has shown in the last few years is commendable and although they face South Korea next, who comes into the quarters as the favourites after winning all their three group games and scoring as many as 12 goals, the fans now have one thing at least – hope.

While India and Bangladesh’s rivalry in cricket has fast gained prominence amidst the fading India-Pakistan one thanks to BCCI, one cannot deny the fact that India have found a perfect foil in the Bangla Tigers. Unlike Pakistan, whose new generation has often proved to be a no-match for their Indian counterpart, Bangladesh have actually shifted gears in the last few years. And one cannot deny the fact that India would have to sweat much more to beat them now than what has been the case against Pakistan of late. Their last few encounters, which have gone down to the wire, is a testament of that and the Asia Cup final this week was no different. Despite being the weaker team on paper and missing out on stars like Tamim Iqbal and Shakib-al-Hasan, Bangladesh were up for it and their competitive nature almost got the better of India. While it is true that India’s old rivals on Asian soil, Pakistan and Sri Lanka’s rebuilding phase has given a chance to Bangladesh to rise, one cannot take away their passion for not playing as the second fiddle whenever they take on the field against India.

India’s astronomical population, which lives and breathes cricket, has given the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) a jackpot, making the body omnipotent for life. Their wealth and influence have reached to such an extent today that they call the most crucial shots in the sport of cricket. However, their supremacy was bearable by the world body, International Cricket Council (ICC), and other country associations only until BCCI’s decisions didn’t affect them as a whole. BCCI’s year-long struggle with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), where numerous efforts have been made to make BCCI follow WADA’s protocols and reach a middle ground with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), has not yet been able to get cricket into Olympics. BCCI, who has their own agency to deal with it, has been too stubborn to bow down and now the world drug control body has warned that they would consider ICC non-compliant if they didn’t sort out the differences of BCCI. The Indian cricket body is exploiting its infinite power here and although a possibility of complete alienation from other cricket bodies looks improbable, they shouldn’t push the limits. ICC CEO David Richardson has now accused BCCI of blocking Cricket’s Olympic dream. 

Imagine if the controversial and inconsequential Sri Lanka series at the 2017 end had been scrapped, and India had enough time to prepare for the South Africa series. But, upon enquiry for pre-series practice time, Cricket South Africa (CSA) had turned down India citing too many domestic fixtures schedules, and ICC would have asked the Indian team to practice in UAE instead that had pitches and weather conditions different from that of South Africa, defeating the very purpose of practice altogether. Seems unfair right? BCCI did the same with Windies who are preparing to face India for two Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is next month. After BCCI cited the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy stating that the grounds were booked, the ICC Global Academy gave Windies a place to practice in Dubai. The Vijay Hazare tournament is being held across four cities in 12 stadiums. Given that India have 51 international stadiums, even if the domestic fixtures had taken 20 more venues, Windies could easily have been allotted at least one. Now, we understand that every country wants to have an Indian tour once a year for the sheer financial gains, but the Indian board just cannot treat any team like pushovers.