If speculation is rife in media circles that the captain and the chairman of the selection committee do not see eye to on selection matters, it cannot be wished away. Reports, since the Indian teams to New Zealand for Tests and ODIs were picked, have done more than hint that there was more than one compromise thrashed out between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Krishnamachari Srikkanth and like two Shylocks they were each looking for their pound of flesh.

In the cricket scenario prevailing in the country it has always been a case of the captain and the chairman having their personal game of one-upmanship and in the bargain little thought is given to the balance of the squads. Srikkanth was once the national captain, though his was a case of the captaincy being thrust upon him. He is in a position now to say that he was Sachin Tendulkar’s first captain, though whether the latter would even suggest Srikkanth being his first captain was a privilege is another matter.

It is already being said that he game’s decisions are Tamil Nadu centric with Srikkanth being chairman and the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) being one N. Srinivasan, a Chennai business magnate and an individual of vast influence.

Dhoni, already regarded as being his own man, is probably coming to grips with the problem of the Chennai influence in Indian cricket which has ensured that he has to accept and accommodate two Tamil Nadu players in his squads, Dinesh Karthick and Lakshmipathi Balaji. He preferred Parthiv Patel from Gujarat to Karthick as a wicketkeeper-batsman, but Srikkanth put his foot down.

In the case of Balaji, Dhoni had to accept what was very much a fait accompli and in a way did so with less reluctance, as the two play for the same team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). One must remember the IPL equations are very crucial.

However, the lesson communicated to Dhoni is, ‘You are a successful captain all right, but you cannot be the boss.’ Clearly Dhoni learnt his lesson and was satisfied that the personnel he wanted in the squad are there. You cannot aspire to be all-powerful as captain in Indian cricket, for then your days are numbered. Dhoni is learning very quickly that it is far more tricky (read treacherous) off the field than on it!