ICC sees Team India as the Men in Green!

(Malcolm Speed, tough times ahead)

The BCCI and the ICC seem on yet another collision course. And this time, what got BCCI’s goat, cow and the entire cattle is the fact that the ICC sold green-coloured (!) Team India jerseys and caps as official merchandise during the Caribbean World Cup.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah is just nursing his sore throat after threatening a no-confidence motion against ICC CEO Malcolm Speed and Co and this new development is likely to add fire to fuel in the ICC Executive Board meeting in June.

Like Shah, board’s chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty is also not amused by the ICC goof-up.

"We first heard about the t-shirts from some Indian fans who had come from England. Then we saw them ourselves… India t-shirts and caps, with the BCCI logo, in parrot green colour. We saw them in Barbados as well as Jamaica. What's more, each t-shirt was being sold at $160 each.

We have bought some t-shirts and caps. We will discuss the issue with (marketing committee chairman) Lalit Modi and decide the future course of action,” Shetty said.

Rebel without a pause, BCCI, however, can’t be blamed in this case and it would be intriguing to know what led ICC to believe that the Men in Blue are a bunch of champion chameleons who change colours so often.

One explanation could be that the ICC wanted to give the Indians an eco-friendly look. Or they tried to convey the message that the cash-rich players were envy -- that green-eyed monster -- of fellow cricketers. I’m ready even to accept that ICC considered Dravid & Co as the top draws, the Green Buck. One final assumption – ICC decided India and Pakistan share boundary, culture, history. Why not a colour?