 Although seemingly trivial, Team Indias farcical formal wear episode on the eve of its departure for South Africa on Monday night has shown the notoriously inept BCCI secretariat in sorry light.
An inexcusable balls-up on the part of some BCCI functionaries and Pantaloon (what a ridiculous corporate name!), the company under a four-year contract for formal wear (whatever that means in this context) of the team with the cricket board, resulted in the team flying out as the nations representatives, dressed not in dignified manner in the national blazer, but most inappropriately in T-shirts advertising the team sponsors logo as if they were departing on holiday.
 Although the players arrived in Johannesburgs time zone looking remarkably none the worse for jetlag after the overnight trip, their attire was decidedly improper and unbecoming of our national team.
Totally inexcusable
Seen in correct perspective and without wishing to make a mountain of a molehill, the lapse is inexcusable. Sportsmen representing our country abroad are unofficial flag-bearers on behalf of our billion-plus people. It is, therefore, incumbent upon them to be attired in appropriate dignified manner abroad.
Moreover, cricket, worldwide, has been severely buffeted and brought into considerable disrepute following a series of incidents of betting/match-fixing (some of our own cricketers were unfortunately involved), drug taking, racial abuse Down Under and, most recently, grossly unbecoming and insulting behaviour on the part of the Australian team during the Champions Trophy final prize ceremony.
What rubbish!
This formal wear incident has come at a time when the games administrators worldwide are trying their utmost to restore cricket to its pristine position as a gentlemans game, which, among other things, has resulted in almost all national teams travelling abroad in their national blazers, unlike a few years ago when the attitude as regards travel dress code was anything goes.
A senior Board official has been quoted as dismissing the incident as a teething problem. He deserves a kick in the teeth for his superciliousness. And a kick in his pantaloons for his facetiousness! POSTSCRIPT: Speaking of which, one wonders if the BCCI officials who drew up the contract with the clothing manufacturer are aware that, in the correct sense, formal wear strictly denotes national dress or black tie (black suit with cummerbund and black bow tie) and not blazer or just black tie with suit of any colour.
One also wonders if the worthy owners of the pantaloon brand, who must spent a fortune in building their brand and corporate entity, are aware that the word is used for a clown or jester in Italian comedy and, in the historical context, for mens close-fitting baggy trousers gathered at the ankles.
Surely, there could not have been any intention on their part to take the pants off our cricketers!
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