It was while I was writing an article on why it was good that cricket wasn't part of the 2008 Olympics, that a thought struck me; a delicious thought that just had to be shared.

The BCCI has this policy where it will have nothing to do with organizations that deal with the ICL. In fact, that is the root of the current row between the BCCI and the ECB over staging the Champions League Twenty-20 tournament, which resulted in the BCCI declaring that the hosts (then) would no longer be allowed to field their two best teams in domestic Twenty-20 tournaments, since those teams dealt with ICL players. The BCCI then proceeded to move the tournament to India and the ECB was left holding it's... Errr ... head in frustration.

Now imagine a scenario where cricket is included as an Olympic discipline in China and the BCCI has to send a team to represent India. Similarly, all other countries would send in their own teams for the Olympic event and since the tournament would not be organized by the ICC, there would be no figurehead to ignore for the BCCI while imposing its own rules. If one participates in the Olympics, one plays by the Olympic rules, dare I say even, the Olympic spirit.

While it is difficult to imagine the BCCI mandarins playing with any spirit, unless it is an alcoholic kind, what would its stand be then? While it can refuse to take any of the Indian ICL players in its team to the Olympics, it cannot object to South Africa taking Kemp and Hall, New Zealand taking Bond, and any other players their home countries decide to include.

Would the BCCI then refuse to send its team to the Olympics, would we go there but forfeit the matches against those teams having the ICL players, or would the BCCI take steps to move the cricket event of the Olympics to India and not let some of the teams play if they have the ICL players?

As long as we are talking about the ICC calendar, the BCCI is the authorized body in India that can send in teams for participation. It is the choice of the BCCI as to who to pick, and who not and no one can question that unless the government of India takes a firmer stand on whether the BCCI can create "rebels" out of those whose guiding principles are different.

However, when it comes to playing in the Olympics, there is no doubt that the cricket team would go as representatives of the Indian government, as all other players do, and they would not really be BCCI managed, or playing under the BCCI's umbrella, as they are in ICC operated tournaments.

Would the government of India then say – "Hold on, maybe the ICL players ought to be in the team too as they are good players. When you make your team for the Olympics, we want the best team in India to be sent, irrespective of whether they play for the BCCI or a rival organization."

Then the cat would be indeed among the pigeons as the BCCI would either have to take a back-step or openly defy the orders of the government. The BCCI has once previously gone so far as to represent in court that it was a private body controlling cricket in India and had nothing to do with the government of India and thus could not be controlled by government orders or rules. What would it do if the government gave instructions in this scenario?

The problem for the BCCI would be that while the Olympics come only once in 4 years, this would really set a precedent for the government's (or any outside body's) interference in its matters, and there has been none for the many years the BCCI has monopolized cricket in India. If it bends once, it leaves itself vulnerable for further attacks by the ICL and others who might implore the government for more control and to lessen the monopoly.

In such a scenario, the BCCI would surely try to scuttle any Olympic participation, as the country's participation in the extravaganza would matter less to it than its own stronghold being maintained on the game in India.

Olympics 2008 will not have cricket as a sport but with the BCCI unlikely to change its spots, it would be fun someday when cricket is indeed included in the sporting extravaganza and this problem comes up before the BCCI. I for one would love to see the BCCI facing this problem since entire India would be watching the drama unfold and when greed is blatantly paraded before honor and country, the Indian fan hopefully will start seeing perspective in its favorite sport. India needs perspective in many areas to progress at a faster rate, and what better area for this perspective to set in than one which holds the attention of 90% of the country.