The science of having your cake and eating it

Let's just recap a sequence of events involving the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) over the past year or so:

1. BCCI bids for the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy (after attempting to snatch it from England in 2004 when the latter was in trouble over relations with Zimbabwe)
2. The BCCI is told by ICC that Indian Government must grant tournament a tax exemption if India is to host Champions Trophy
3. Indian Government grants tax exemption. ICC awards 2006 Champions Trophy to India
4. BCCI decides it doesn't like the idea of a Champions Trophy, saying it will clash with the peak period of India's home international season
5. BCCI says it won't take part in future Champions Trophies after the 2006 tournament, which it is hosting
6. BCCI announces intention to bid to host the 2011 ICC World Cup, either on its own or in partnership with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Now this all looks on the surface like rank hypocrisy but it's not that straightforward. Between items 3 and 4 came the much-delayed BCCI elections which saw Jagmohan Dalmiya defeated for the presidency by Sharad Pawar.

Jagadish raises a number of worthwhile points in his blog, but I wonder whether the sabre-rattling of the new administration is really the best way to win friends and influence people, even if they appear to already have Cricket Australia onside. I'll have more to say about all this later.