“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about the Cricket Board?”
“I think they have sacked the interim committee that ran the affairs of the Cricket Board...” Bindu’s father Percy explained.

“But thaaththa,” Bindu protested, “there is nothing unusual about that...”
“Why do you say that?” Percy asked.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “if a committee is an ‘interim’ committee, doesn’t it mean that it should be dissolved some day?”

“That is true,” Percy agreed, “but in recent years, the situation has been such that interim committees have become more or less permanent and permanent committees have become an interim arrangement...”
“So, why did they sack the interim committee this time?” Bindu wanted to know.
“The minister thought that Captain Cool was getting too big for his boots...” Percy said.
“But, thaaththa,” Bindu was puzzled, “wasn’t Captain Cool given the job in the first place as a reward for staying with the government and supporting it?”

“Yes,” Percy said, “he was given the job for voting for the budget but that was one year ago and one year is a long time in politics...”
“But that is what is even more puzzling...” Bindu observed.
“Why do you say that, Bindu?” Percy queried.
“Why, thaaththa, that means that Captain Cool has been sacked by the minister while he still remains part of the government...”

“Yes,” Percy conceded, “that is what has happened...”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu asked, “isn’t Captain Cool someone from the Blue camp while the minister is someone originally from the Green camp?”
“Yes,” Percy agreed, “that is also true...”
“So,” Bindu wanted to know, “does it mean that the Greens in the government can dictate terms to the Blues in the government?”

“At the moment,” Percy said, “that is what seems to have happened and I don’t think we should be too unhappy about it...”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu inquired.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy said, “that only means that there is such democracy within the government that even the Greens in the government can do what they think is right, even if it goes against the Blues in the government...”
“I suppose it can be argued that way too,” Bindu said, “although I doubt whether Uncle Karu would agree with that...”

“Now that is an entirely different story...” Percy agreed.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu persisted, “what was it that Captain Cool did, that angered the Minister so much that he had to be sacked?”
“Well,” Percy recalled, “the Minister says that Captain Cool was acting on his own and taking decisions arbitrarily without consulting anyone...”
“But surely, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “ministers know how to deal with people who they claim are acting arbitrarily without consulting anyone...”

“How should they deal with such people?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “for the first week, all they have to say is that they didn’t get a copy of the decisions taken and refuse to implement them...”
“And what happens next?” Percy asked.
“And then, a week later they can still refuse to implement the decision by referring it to the Attorney General...” Bindu proposed.

“I suppose they could have done that too...” Percy concurred.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu said, “what I still don’t understand is why they were so angry with Captain Cool to have him sacked...”
“Well,” Percy explained, “what he did last was to organise a tour to Pakistan that would have antagonised India...”

“Now, that is a dangerous task to undertake...” Bindu declared, “we shouldn’t be trying to follow Pakistan...”
“Why do you say that, Bindu?” Percy was surprised.
“Why, thaaththa, Pakistan is the country where the Chief Justice was sacked and placed under house arrest, only to have the President himself resigning a few months later...” Bindu pointed out.
Percy began to wonder whether that was why Captain Cool was sacked.