For those who know him closely, Shah is one of the rare gentleman sports administrators around. Unlike his recent predecessors, he has done well to steer clear of controversy despite being under constant media glare.
With his broad, natural smile, the re-elected secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was cool and confident as he discussed various subjects during a freewheeling conversation with Haresh Pandya at the plush Saurashtra Cricket Association office in Rajkot on Sunday.
You've been re-elected as BCCI secretary. How do you feel?
It's a nice feeling, but it also means a lot of responsibilities. I need hardly emphasise how the game is followed in India. With India emerging as a major force in world cricket, and the game spreading in every nook and cranny of the country, the functions and responsibilities of the BCCI officials, not just the secretary, have also increased manifold.
What are India's chances in the about-to-start Champions Trophy?
As good as any other country! Seriously speaking, we've always had a good, balanced team for the last several years. We may have failed to reach the final in the tri-series in Malaysia, but it doesn't mean we aren't one of the favourites to win the Champions Trophy. Don't forget we're playing in India and the host nation usually enjoys what you call home advantage. What I mean is our players have it in them to win the event regardless of the home advantage.
What went wrong for Team India in Malaysia?
Obviously, we failed to strike collectively. This is one area that is a cause for concern. We've many experienced players, but more often than not they don't succeed together. Of course, when they do, Team India puts up an outstanding performance, often being victorious.
Our players, particularly senior cricketers, have to do a bit of introspection. It would be better for them as well as the team.
How do you rate India's batting line-up?
We've a very good, if not very strong, batting line-up. Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are all world-class batsmen with plenty of experience. Then, again, no team should depend on one or two batsmen only. It's important that all the leading batsmen contribute 50, 60 runs.
Are you happy and satisfied with Tendulkar's fitness?
Yes. He proved it beyond doubt in Malaysia with a couple of typical vintage Tendulkar innings.
Tendulkar tends to come a cropper when it comes to the crunch, doesn't he? In recent years he hasn't contributed noticeably in matches that matter the most...
He is a truly great batsman and in a class of his own. On a number of occasions he has proved his genius in big and crucial matches. He has won numerous matches for us. But we tend to highlight his failures. He, too, is human, after all.
Do you support the idea of Dravid opening the batting in one-day cricket?
This is a debatable issue, but we should leave it to the team management, which is in a better position to judge such matters.
How do you compare Dravid's captaincy with Sourav Ganguly's?
They both have different approaches to captaincy. But, like Ganguly in the past, Dravid has also been doing a good job with the kind of resources at his command. He has earned the respect of his players and enjoys their full support.
How are Ganguly's chances of playing for India again?
He has always been in the reckoning. Had it not been so, he wouldn't have figured in a team for the Challanger Series. Let him perform and stake his claim.
He seems to have problems with India's coach, Greg Chappell...
Whatever it is, I'm not the man to comment on this issue. You should ask the outgoing chairman of selectors (Kiran More).
But Kiran More's successor, Dilip Vengsarkar, has categorically said that players would be selected on merit and performance, irrespective of how old they are...
This is precisely what I'm trying to say. The BCCI has always been very open and transparent even in team selection. Ultimately it boils down to performance. No player can take his place in the team for granted.
Don't you think Chappell has been making too many experiments, sometimes at the cost of the team's performance?
It's his job to produce the best results from the team he has been given. Maybe, it's his method. We can't interfere in his role. He is an enormously experienced cricketer and knows his job and role only too well. He isn't unaware of what the BCCI's expectations are of him.
How do you view India's prospects in the next year's World Cup in the West Indies?
I'm sure the Indian team will be back to winning ways well before the World Cup, which is still about four months away. We've a bunch of gifted young and experienced players. But let me reiterate that there is no substitute for collective performance when it comes to a team sport like cricket. This is especially true in one-day cricket in general and in a tough competition like the World Cup in particular.
What do you have to say about the Darrel Hair controversy, with regard to Inzamam-ul Haq and ball tampering?
It's over now. Let's look ahead rather than going back.
But it's a major controversy, which even threatened to divide the cricket world. Don't you think the match referee should have handled it diplomatically?
Yes, he should have. Match referees are armed with enough powers, but many of them don't exercise their authority when it comes to dealing with erring umpires.
Hair isn't going to officiate in any Champions Trophy match. Is it because the BCCI objected to his possible appointment as one of the umpires?
We've played only a small role in ensuring that Hair doesn't umpire in the Champions Trophy.
Only a small role? Come on, sir, it's not a small role...
Well, you could say India has played an important part. We had to protest after the worldwide controversy his decision in the Test between England and Pakistan triggered off.
Hair is alleged to have a tendency to be a bit too stringent with Asian players. Was this one of the factors for the BCCI to go against his selection for the Champions Trophy?
Nothing like that. It's just that we felt that in the aftermath of the latest controversy involving him, Hair officiating in a tournament, billed as the mini World Cup, wouldn't be proper.
It's ironical that at a time when controversial umpires like Hair are on the Elite Panel of the ICC, there hasn't been a single one from India. When will an Indian find himself on the Elite Panel?
I think it's a matter of time before an Indian umpire will be there yet again.
But doesn't this mean there are no world-class umpires in India?
There are. The BCCI is also encouraging retired Test cricketers to take up umpiring. There is good money, too. Domestic first-class matches are going to be telecast. Umpires' on-field movements will be recorded by special video cameras in order to scrutinise and judge their performances.
Some of the BCCI-affiliated associations are planning to import foreign players to strengthen their first-class teams. What's the BCCI's stand in this regard?
Let them import any number of players from any country. We've no objection whatsoever. If they feel that foreign cricketers' presence in their teams could inspire other players, it's not a bad idea.
Saurashtra's promising junior player Ravindra Jadeja has made it to the Challenger Series. How do you rate him?
He has been included in one of the Challenger Series teams because he has proved his mettle as an all-rounder in junior international cricket, too. He is a talented left-arm spinner, more-than-useful batsman and an agile fielder. He has proved to be a very good one-day cricketer. A bright future beckons him.
And what about the already much-acclaimed stylish batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara, who is also from Saurashtra?
Pujara is a very compact batsman. Dravid also has praised his batting and believes that he is a long-term prospect. He is more suited to Test cricket and hence hasn't been selected for the Challenger Series. Both Jadeja and Pujara hold a lot of promise.
