By Saurabh Pareek:
The recent sting operation by undercover TV reporters of an Indian News channel again stretched the gentlemen’s game-Cricket under Red Scanner. The report claims that the alleged players agreed to bowl ‘no balls’ and fix specific events (spot fixing) in the ongoing season of Indian Premier League 5. Five Indian Cricketers have been provisionally suspended following these allegations of corruption and spot fixing in the lucrative product of sports, BCCI said after the media reports.
On immediate actions, BCCI appointed Ravi Sawani-Former Head of ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, as the Commissioner to execute the preliminary enquiries. The five cricketers – TP Sudhindra (Deccan), Mohnish Mishra (Pune), Amit Yadav (Punjab), Shalabh Srivastav (Punjab) and Abhinav Bali – will remain suspended from all cricketing activities pending the investigation, the BCCI said. The operation was informed to be conducted by undercover reporters of INDIA TV. The sting claimed that many players have confessed on hidden camera getting much more money, under the table, than their prescribed auction.
It is known that IPL is a product of Cricket, created by BCCI five years ago, fueled with international sponsorships, broadcasting revenues, ticket sales and various other sources of revenue, has now grown to the World’s richest Cricketing Competition, worth approx. 3.7 Billion USD. This recent incident is one more smash on the face of Sport followed by suspension and arrest of Pakistan Crickets about 2 years ago.
A lot of criticism for the reported incident has been seen from all around. On one side BCCI called an emergency meeting after the press releases started to discuss and sort the issue and former cricketers, journalists and cricket & IPL fans also showed their anger and criticism to the incident. Whereas former IPL Chief Lalit Modi believes that more proofs are still required, and concrete evidences are needed to confirm the probe. All of the convicted players said that the channel misrepresented meetings with an agent in a Delhi hotel and claimed these reports to be conspiracy to tarnish their image.
Indian Premier League again raised lots of questions on is Match fixing and spot fixing still prominent in India. Since a decade, all such incidents, illegal & unfair dealings, that brings shame to the fair name of the game has been a cause of worry. The teams in the League are owned by the top business tycoons of India, has a lot of money and fame flowing all the time. Critics believe that on one side this format gave chances and opportunities to young budding Indian crickets to grow but is also deteriorating the cricketing culture of India. The event also saw clashes and aggression among Indian players, reportedly from Harbhajan-Sreesanth Slap incident to recent shameful fight on ground in MI-RCB match. With global audience reach of IPL and impressionable young minds are following your every move, these incidents do deteriorate image of Indian Cricketing spirits.
As cricket fans, we can wish the game to stay away from ‘dirty business’ and ‘internal politics’ to keep it a fair play with sportsmen spirit.