For the Indian team to perform well on the field, it is imperative that the atmosphere off the field is healthy and cordial. One's mind goes back 41 years to the dismal season of 1958-59. The West Indies were a good side but were not reckoned to be that powerful as to win three Tests in a row and draw the other two, both very much in their favour. But in many ways, the thrashing on the field was an off shoot of the unsavoury incidents away from the playing arena. With petty minded officials holding sway, the players were mere pawns and just could not perform to the best of the ability. This was the series when 24 players were tried out in the five Tests, when four captains led India in the series and when questions were raised in Parliament about the unhappy happenings on and off the field.

All this comes to mind in the wake of the Kapil-Lele war of words. It is never a healthy augury when the Indian team's coach and the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India are at loggerheads. And going by what has happened this is not just a minor misunderstanding. Lele has termed Kapil's action as ``open defiance'' and has added that he will ``report the matter to the Board and seek appropriate action.'' Kapil when asked to comment on this has also not taken it lying down and has retorted with ``I am doing my job. Let him do his job.''

Apparently Kapil felt the need of a couple of extra bowlers at the nets and so asked for Ajit Agarkar and Harvinder Singh Sodhi. With both players not in the Indian 14 for the Test at Ahmedabad, the Board's permission was sought. The request was turned down. According to Lele, Kapil had been told at the meeting itself that if he had his way, only 12 would be selected as ``the rest of the players in any case sit idle and do nothing.''

Indeed Lele has also threatened to take appropriate action against both Agarkar and Sodhi. ``If the two have gone to Ahmedabad on their own it is a different matter. Otherwise it is a serious issue and I will take appropriate action against them. Both Agarkar and Sodhi did not even have the courtesy to inform me. I agree that in the past we have asked some young bowlers to bowl at the nets but only after taking the Board's permission,'' Lele is quoted to have said. According to the BCCI secretary, he has been given the power to decide on extra players for the Ahmedabad Test and no one else had the right to decide about the matter. ``There was no need to have Agarkar and Sodhi to bowl at the nets when we have three good new ball bowlers in the side.''

Kapil's defence as been that as the coach, he has do what is the best for the team. Given the fact that the request was turned down by the Board, the presence of Agargar at the nets on Wednesday and Thursday stirred a hornet's nest and was an open sign of confrontation.

Defending his action, Kapil admitted that the ``local association did give us some bowlers, but they were not up to the mark. Hence we took the decision to call upon Agarkar so that our batsmen could have some practice against some quality bowling.'' Lele openly questioned Kapil's authority to call Agarkar for net practice. The Board secretary apparently wanted Agarkar to play in the Times Shield matches in Mumbai to prove his fitness. It may be recalled that Agarkar had subitted his fitness certificate to the Board on Tuesday after being sidelines due to a groin injury he had for the past couple of months.

The last has obviously - and unhappily - not been heard about the controversy. However, the sooner things are sorted out the better. For if the unsavoury incident spreads to affect the performances on the field, it could be 1958-59 all over again.