Cricketer-turned-commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu, known for his acid tongue and extemporaneous humour, lambasted the Indian cricket board for not doing enough for the development of the game.
"If they (board officials) showed even 25-30 per cent of the interest they show in developing the game when its election time, Indian cricket could hugely benefit," Sidhu told reporters in Kolkata on Thursday.
He accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India mandarins of "lacking transparency" and not doing much for the game.
"The BCCI is like a chameleon ... always changing colour with the situation," the former Test opener said at the ESPN school quiz prize-distribution ceremony.
On the cold war between the BCCI and the Indian Cricket Players' Association, he said the board should have no problems recognizing the outfit.
"It's only a platform for the players. So there's no harm. Even the boards of Australia and the West Indies have recognized their players' bodies."
He said: "The cricketers must present a united front. Only then will the BCCI recognize them."
He said the ICPA had won half the battle with senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in its ranks.
Sidhu urged the ICPA, formed last October, to "bridge the gap between the players and the board".
He ruled out joining the ICPA. "I'm a commentator and my role in that capacity may be compromised if I became a member," he said.
