Former Bengal captain Ashok Malhotra was known as a gutsy middle-order batsman who once held the Ranji Trophy record for the highest career aggregate (7,274 runs, including 18 centuries). The former India player and national selector, who turns 63 on January 26, minces no words as he, as president of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA), makes his frustration clear on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sitting for long on the initial funding of the ICA, as enumerated in the Supreme Court-approved new BCCI constitution. Malhotra points out that the BCCI has always crushed with iron hands whenever players have formed national-level associations. Under Malhotra, from Punjab/Haryana and a Kolkata resident for many years, current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, played in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal in the 1990s and batted together. Now, in a role-reversal, Malhotra these days sits across the table to Ganguly, seeking the initial funding so that the ICA takes off. The ICA election results were announced on October 13, but since then there has been nothing except promises on the funding issue. In this exclusive interview, Malhotra candidly shares his views.