On a recent post of mine, where I asked if Jagmohan Dalmiya was the best diplomat, I got two comments – one saying that maybe he is the best politician, and the other saying that he is the best businessman.
The question is who is a diplomat? Is he/she a politician? No. Is he/she a businessman? No.
But, is he/she political? Extremely. Most of the time.
Is he/she there to make some money? Probably so.
In that case, Dalmiya *is* the best diplomat – because he’s somehow managed to be on the board, be a president, or secretary of the important organizations in World cricket, and has made a ton on money in getting there.
Romit's Stream 
I for one, hesitate to put superlatives like “best” on a casual basis. Sure, he is a good diplomat. And certainly a brilliant business person.The fact is that he treated the ICC as a business and ensured that the game got a lot of money into it. By recognising the worth of the game, and making it truly commercial. When he took over as ICC Chief, the coffers of the ICC were at a pitiable low level of something like $30K or something. Thanks to the lack of creativity of the stodgy and prudish British chappies who had controlled the ICC for many many years. The first thing he did on taking over was to get an ICC trophy planned and executed and then sold it so well, that the ICC suddenly had a lot of money in the bank. And then he went from strength to strength. Having said that, the size of the entire “cricket market” in the world, is estimated to be in the range of what is paid for Monday Night Football television rights! There’s a long way to go to compare and compete with American sports, in terms of the money.I am not sure if Dalmiya has played a role in the emergence of India as a cricketing nation to reckon with on the field of sport itself. Could well be. Perhaps just the way he might have given confidence to the captain, or the way he may have delegated authority, of that he could cope with undoubted Indian pressures while keeping a foreign coach and support staff, or the very fact that he gave them all so much support staff, etc. While most of these may appear so natural and must-do kind of things now, they did not happen for so many years. And its in his tenure as the Board chief that all these have become a reality. Perhaps he figured that the team has to do well, to sustain interest from the massses, and only on such sustained interest will the money flow in, and if it flows in from India then the world of crickets gets money! In the process, if he ends up making a lot of money for himself too, I do not really grudge that..It would be great if Dalmiya can be convinced to take up the job of Indian Hockey Fedaration head honcho. I am sure he can make a difference.