A big thank you to Suraj Randiv

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Suraj Randiv has unwittingly served a reminder to the fat cats who've been running franchise-based cricket for the last couple of years. The message, though contrived, is heartening: nothing stokes more passion and pride than country-versus-country cricket.

Look at the other protagonists in cricket's latest controversy. Tilakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Virender Sehwag. Dilshan, who reportedly came up with the idea of the no-ball that denied Sehwag his century, was one of the stars of Delhi Daredevils' fine run in the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). His captain happened to be none other than Virender Sehwag.

Kumar Sangakkara, on the other hand, was anointed captain of Kings XI Punjab at the expense of local boy Yuvraj Singh. The only other foreign captains in the IPL were two legendary retired Australians. The rest have Indians at the helm. In fact, barring India, no country in the IPL is as well-represented as Sri Lanka.

So, for all the talk of club cricket softening players and tempering famed rivalries, No-Ball Gate comes as a pleasant surprise. Cricket followers are almost sick of the diplomatic tripe that foreign players churn out in their newspaper columns and interviews. Everyone wants to be in good terms with the Indian cricket board and its players.

Shane Warne, for example, is the king of hyperbole. Not one to give an inch in his heyday, here's what the colour of money has done to his objectivity: Soon after his Rajasthan Royals teammate Yusuf Pathan hit a 37-ball century against Mumbai Indians in a match his team eventually lost, Warne said, "I've played cricket for 21 years and I have seen Sachin Tendulkar as the best batsman against whom I have played as he has murdered attacks and hit them all over the park. But today was the best innings I have ever seen.'' What? Really? In a 20-over game in which Ryan McLaren, Ali Murtuza and R Sathish bowled 11 overs?

Few cricketers today have the courage to be dispassionate and call a spade a spade. And even fewer have the temerity to get under the skin of Indian players. Sri Lanka have won the ICC's Spirit of Cricket award twice before and are unlikely to add to that tally anytime soon, but by having the courage to do what they did at Dambulla, they've done the ICC a huge favour. By over-stepping the white line, Randiv and his teammates have told cricket's governing body that national colours hold precedence over the colour of money.

Thank you, Suraj Randiv.