“I don’t think Chappell’s contract with the BCCI allows him immunity to say anything he wants against MPs and Parliament. BCCI will have to take a decision on Chappell, and if it doesn’t then the government and Parliament will have to,” said Mohammad Salim, CPM’s deputy leader in Lok Sabha.

Aware that the remarks would be seen in the light of the Left’s espousal of Sourav Ganguly —- over the weekend CPM MP Brinda Karat once again demanded Ganguly’s return to the team —- Salim quickly took up the larger cause of Indian sport, asking for higher resources to other disciplines and greater accountability from the cricket team against the background of the “stepmotherly treatment” to other sports.

“Other games are suffering because of cricket. So, not merely Parliament but even those who play other games should criticize the cricket team if it does not perform. Greg Chappell has no right to say anything he wants against MPs. There should be more transparency and accountability from him,” Salim said.

His senior Basudeb Acharia, the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, was more direct in fixing responsibility: “Regarding the dismal performance of the Indian team in Durban, the man responsible was the coach.”

Much of the CPM’s media briefing today was devoted to the Chappell issue and the performance of the Indian cricket team. The recent blasts in the North-East and the plans for a non-BJP delegation to visit the camps of riot-affected people in Gujarat were dismissed briefly.

The Members of Parliament were clearly ruffled that Chappell had made what they thought were uncalled for comments against MPs, but was in their opinion a poor sport himself because he could not handle criticism.

“When there is desperation all around and he is unsuccessful, we will raise these issues as representatives of the people,” Salim said, responding to criticism that MPs were talking about cricket even though they did not understand the game.