For a man demonised by half the cricket world and regarded with scepticism and a hint of suspicion in his own country, Jagmohan Dalmiya has hardly put a foot wrong since his come-from-behind win in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) presidential elections last September. In his earlier two incarnations, first as BCCI general secretary and then as ICC president, Dalmiya singularly devoted himself to the acquisition of wealth and consolidation of power – not an unworthy cause in itself, but one that could be construed as self-serving. But Dalmiya Mark III has shown a broader vision for the growth of the game in the country and seems to have set his mind on leaving a more profound imprint on Indian cricket. We couldn't have asked for better. His stance on the Mike Denness affair seemed rigid to many, and did at times border on brinkmanship. But while you could quibble over his methods, it is unarguable that India needed to make a point and that Dalmiya made it in a language that the ICC mandarins understood. That achieved, he has set about transforming Indian cricket with messianic zeal.

Some of the steps Dalmiya has taken were elementary and long overdue: still, someone had to go beyond lip service and take them. The importance of the revival of A-tours and youth-team tours – already this year, Indian A-teams have toured South Africa and Sri Lanka and the under-19 team will soon be heading to England – can't be overstated, but more significant perhaps is the decision to re-lay pitches at eight major centres to make them faster and bouncier. This will not only equip batsmen to handle foreign pitches betters, but also help fast bowlers who fail to exploit helpful conditions due to a lack of knowledge.

There have been other smaller, but equally progressive, steps – like the appointment of Adrian Le Roux as the fitness trainer (the players can't stop talking about him) and Dalmiya's having stopped some players from undertaking a quick trip to South Africa to shoot a commercial during the 12-day break between two tough tours.

The BCCI's latest move towards a central contract system promises to be its most radical. Central contracts by themselves are not novel and are in existence in Australia, South Africa and England. But the BCCI has added a new twist in the form of performance-related incentives and penalties, following the write-your-own-pay-cheque principle of the new economy. How well this will work in practice is difficult to gauge – all the contracted cricketers stand to benefit substantially from a fixed-remuneration deal, and India are so low down the Test ladder that our players have hardly anything to lose – but it is a big stride towards professionalism, and any loss of pay owing to defeat should work as a form of public rebuke, however symbolic.

It will be naïve and foolhardy to expect dramatic gains in the immediate future. It wouldn't hurt to admit that our cricket team isn't as good as it is often made out to be. Talent isn't only about thumping the ball spectacularly; it is, in the modern context, about sustaining a high level of performance over reasonably long stretches, which the Indians seem incapable of. What these measures promise to give Indian cricket is a much-needed contemporariness. By doing what was direly required, the Indian board is beginning to eliminate, one by one, all the excuses proffered by our cricketers for non-performance. The ball is moving fast and sharply into the players' court.

Sambit Bal is editor of Wisden.com India and Wisden Asia Cricket magazine.

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