Former Test captain Bishan Singh Bedi has asked that his name be taken off one of the spectator stands here at the Ferozshah Kotla in response to the idea of erecting a statue of the late Arun Jaitley at the stadium.
Not known to mince words, Bedi expressed his anguish by renouncing his Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) membership in a hard-hitting letter, spanning over 850 words, to the association’s newly elected president Rohan Jaitley.
Unsavoury past
He recalled the “DDCA’s unsavoury past” besides the “corrupt durbar of sycophants Arun Jaitley mustered at the Kotla during his stewardship” and much more.
Making his point, Bedi stated, “A mere Google search would have helped to know that Late Arun Jaitley's tenure at DDCA was riddled with corruption. You being a lawyer should also know the cases of massive misappropriation of funds are still pending in courts. Late Arun Jaitley, I'm told, was an able politician. So it’s Parliament, and not a cricket stadium, which needs to remember him for posterity.
“You need to be educated that sports administrators don’t need to be self-serving. People who surround you presently will never inform you that it’s W. G. Grace at Lord’s..., Sir Jack Hobbs at the Oval..., Sir Donald Bradman at the SCG..., Sir Garfield Sobers at Barbados & Shane Warne of recent vintage at the MCG, who adorn their cricket stadia, with the Spirit of Cricket never out of place.
Sporting role models
“So when the kids walk into these stadiums these majestic statues/busts enhance & enliven the inspiring stories of these past heroes that their elders tell them. Sporting arenas need sporting role models.
“The place of the administrators is in their glass cabins. Since DDCA doesn’t understand this Universal cricket culture, I need to walk out of it.”
