NEW DELHI, Nov 29: He may seem reckless to foreign eyes, but those who know him say Jagmohan Dalmiya realises exactly what he is doing.

They say the Indian cricket board chief, who has defied the International Cricket Council (ICC) and put England’s forthcoming Test series at risk, weighs his words carefully, thinks clearly and appreciates the implications of his actions.

He has since refused to bow to ICC pressure to drop Virender Sehwag from the line-up for next Monday’s first Test between India and England in a row over whether the batsman should be suspended. The series and India’s visit to England next year are now at risk.

But, at home, the man who rose from a wicketkeeper-batsman in Rajasthan Club to ICC president from 1997-2000, is loved for defying what many Indians see as the pompous western rulers.

Elected as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) this year, Dalmiya has spearheaded a drive to take the game beyond the confines of the English-speaking Commonwealth and has become the self-appointed champion of developing countries.

The 61-year-old, with piercing eyes behind his gold-rimmed spectacles, denies accusations that he is prepared to split the cricket world by defying the ICC.

“The ICC can never be split, not today, not in a 100 years, not in a 1,000 years. We just want them to give us our due and to look into our national sentiments,” he said this week.—Reuters