LONDON: The MS Dhoni and the dagger sign on his wicketkeeping gloves controversy may not be over yet.
Although the ICC has said clearly that it is not going to allow it and stick to its policy, chances of the former India skipper taking the field against Australia with the same insignia on his gloves on Sunday are not ruled out.
What happens if he does so and whether this will lead to another BCCI vs ICC collision is what has to be seen.
Asked if the BCCI would defy the ICC ruling and Dhoni would have that dagger sign on his gloves in this match, sources in the team did not say no. “Wait until tomorrow,” was all that was given as an answer.
Considering that the ICC has already said this is not on, under normal circumstances these questions should have met with a direct ‘no’. That they are saying “wait and see” instead of replying in the negative is significant.
On Saturday morning at the official pre-match media conference, Rohit Sharma was asked what the team is thinking about the ICC decision and the reaction it has caused in India. The vice-captain kept his reply short and began by saying “I don’t know anything about it”.
But he did add after further prodding that “Maybe we will know tomorrow.”
One reason the BCCI, Dhoni and the Indian team might think of doing this is the fact that infringement of the relevant ICC rule, in this case, entails a fine.
There is no provision of suspending the team or the player.
And given the riches at the disposal of the Indian board, even a hefty fine would mean nothing to them.
What kind of precedent it will set is another question, although the BCCI may not be too keen on that aspect at the moment.