"I have been totally misquoted!!" thundered Jagmohan Dalmiya, among a volley of hacking coughs. "I am not going to court over this issue. Who wrote this? Nobody talked to me; this is all wrong. I never talked to anybody from any magazine. So you must quote me correctly," he warned.

I had no intentions of doing otherwise.

Last week, the Electronic Telegraph had pinned him down as a poor sport by quoting him, "I would take legal action if 'irregular' means were used to prevent my election as chairman of the International Cricket Council."

"If I wanted to go court, I would have done so last year--I had plenty of support," Dalmiya remarked. He is a testy man, weary of the uproar his mostly controversial bid for the ICC chairmanship has created. "I am tired of the speculations, mine as well as those of the people around me. Now, I don't wish to speculate. What must happen will happen. I am not holding by breath."

Amazed, perhaps, by his nonchalance, he quickly concedes how important it is for the subcontinent to have a prominent representation at that level. "We can do wonderful things. I don't want to get into the details, but I have ideas," he rasped meaningfully. I won't tell anybody now; no, not even you. If I do, it must be off the record." I nodded, foolishly, for the conversation was telephonic.

So it must not go in print. After hearing him out, I am not convinced he is The Man. He is powerful and visionary. He enjoys support from a majority of the Test-playing nations. Yet, he is cantankerous and curt. Some would say he is unapproachable. The chairman of the ICC must not be like this, even if has an explanation for his demeanor. "I am just too tired of the sensationalistic attitude of the press over my ideas and suggestions. It is getting on my nerves."

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