Bishan Bedi has been known for plain-speaking and

relentless truth-telling all through his cricket career

and after, even if it sometimes means taking a spade
to a souffl. Though he has his share of critics, some
of us who are admirers of his wonderful left-arm
spin bowling, his respect for history and tradition,
and his genuine concern for cricket, tend to agree
with most of his views. I have, in particular, been a
fan of his frank and often loud disdain for the
dictates of commerce in cricket and the merits of
T20, his outspokenness on the doosra and illegal
bowling actions, and his contempt for doublespeak
in the corridors of power.

Strong as his views are, his outrageous sense of the

absurd forces you to laugh with him at the foibles of
lesser mortals. I still vividly remember the shocked
expression, many years ago, of a TV anchor when
Bedi claimed on air that the financial irregularities
in the BCCI were bigger than thehawala scandal
raging then.

On another TV show, he told a long story of how

debutant Nilesh Kulkarni sought Sachin Tendulkar's
advice when a second wicket eluded him after he
took one with his very first delivery in Test cricket.
Sri Lanka made over 900 in that innings, and Bedi
slowly built up to a climax, narrating how Kulkarni
reeled out a detailed list of tricks and stratagems he

tried in vain as the Sri Lankans piled on the agony.

Bedi ended the suspense finally by quoting
Tendulkar as saying, "Go get Visa power" - a line
from a popular TV commercial (featuring
Tendulkar) then. And whether they agreed with him
or not, the audience at Bedi's over-the-top Nani
Palkhivala Memorial lecture in Chennai a couple of
years ago went into paroxysms of laughter over his
views on a wide range of subjects from the BCCI and
the IPL to the alleged timidity of umpires in the
matter of chucking.

Bedi's recent criticism of the Indian selectors'

tendency to pitchfork young spinners into Test
cricket on the basis of their so-called success in the
IPL is a case in point. Four overs in T20 is rapidly
becoming the new 15 minutes of fame. It should
remain just that -15 minutes of fame - unless the
bowler in question has proven credentials in the
longer game. Karn Sharma's selection in the Test
team for the Bangladesh tour is a baffling one,
especially given the manner in which the folly of the
move was exposed in Australia not so long ago. Are
the selectors not sending wrong signals to Test
aspirants, such as those still remaining in this new
era of instant gratification? What might those
bowlers who have been around for years be feeling?
Do they feel cheated? Are they already reconciled to
the imminent end of their Test hopes? Should the

national selectors not insist on at least two or three

good first-class seasons as a minimum criterion for
selection to the Indian team?

Bedi is equally critical of the decision to bring back

Harbhajan Singh, the rationale behind whose recall
seems whimsical at best. Two offspinners in the
playing XI to counter the preponderance of lefthand batsmen in the Bangladesh team? Is India
going back to the old three-spinner formula, or is
Karn already consigned to the reserve benches? Is R
Ashwin's place in the XI threatened? What a lovely
irony it will be, even if the idea belongs in the realm
of fantasy, if Bangladesh magically unearth some
right-handed batting sensations to spoil the Indian
selectors' plans? When did India last follow such a
dedicated horses-for-courses selection policy? With
due respect for Bangladesh's cricketers, the Indian
team could have been selected with an eye on the
future rather than on success in this series.

Extending the poor logic of selecting Test players on

the basis of IPL performances to cover such areas as
captaincy, Rohit Sharma's second success as
Mumbai Indians captain could soon advance his
claims to Test captaincy opportunities. The recent
spate of laudatory articles on his leadership skills in
the press does suggest a nascent school of thought
in favour of him being groomed for the job that is

now Virat Kohli's. Rohit may well have it in him to

be a good Test captain, but he must first consolidate
his position as a batsman, mustn't he?

Bedi has recommended the appointment of a strong

coach to manage Kohli's short temper. For all we
know, such a move could lead to trouble of a kind
that harks back to the Chappell-Ganguly days.
Never a dull moment in Indian cricket.