Fears of revenge and retribution rent the air in the aftermath of one of the most acrimonious elections in the annals of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. If Jagmohan Dalmiya's pre-election mood is a barometer, Indian cricket could see sweeping changes - a process that could dismantle some of the building blocks installed by the previous regime. Given the deep mistrust between men on either side of the great divide there are question-marks over several key appointments made by the AC Muthiah/Raj Singh Dungarpur regime. Sackings and resignations are distinct possibilities.

Dungarpur's own resignation was swift. He said he could not work "for manipulation of the game", and quit as chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) soon after Dalmiya's election as BCCI president was confirmed. Dalmiya had been outspoken in his criticism of spending large amounts of cash on foreign cricket expertise, while Sunil Gavaskar - the man succeeding Dungarpur - has long been a believer in growing your own. Under the circumstances, the involvement of the many Australians currently associated with the Academy is under threat.

The same yardstick should logically apply to the coach, New Zealander John Wright - a Dungarpur choice - and Andrew Leipus, the Australian physio, as well. Both men may already be feeling the heat in South Africa, after Dalmiya questioned the worth of hiring foreign hands when, according to him, India's performance and the players' fitness levels had "deteriorated" in recent years.

The BCCI may trumpet its autonomy, but it still needs to keep the government on-side for small favours like currency clearance. And Dalmiya has a powerful adversary in the Vajpayee government in Uma Bharti, the firebrand sports minister. Twice already this year Ms Bharti has snubbed Dalmiya, first by scuttling his plans to raise funds for the Gujarat earthquake victims in Sharjah, and later by preventing India's participation in the Asian Test Championship.

Ms Bharti is also unlikely to overlook Dalmiya's subsequent attempts to set up a united front of Indian sports federations. Dalmiya attended an executive council meeting of the Indian Olympic Association in Delhi on the invitation of its president, Suresh Kalmadi. The agenda was clear: both Dalmiya and Kalmadi had been snubbed by Ms Bharti at various times, and the two powerful administrators wanted to flex their muscles by taking on the might of the government.

Dalmiya's stance did not have BCCI approval. It was shocking, unexpected and uncalled for. In a quick damage-control exercise, then-president Muthiah issued a soothing statement that Dalmiya had attended the meeting in his personal capacity.

It might now be payback time now for Ms Bharti.

Dalmiya would also need the benevolence of the government if the cash-rich BCCI has to gain tax exemptions. That, however, may not be so much of a worry now, given Dalmiya's Midas touch with money.

And what about the International Cricket Council? Cricket's governing body has not exactly been charitable towards him, even while his tenure as its president was drawing to a close. Paul Condon's match-fixing report still rankles.

Batting will not be easy for Dalmiya and Co. on a sticky wicket.

H Natarajan is managing editor of Wisden.com India.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd