As this writer has been preoccupied with some official tasks he has not been writing any essay in his blog for the past two months. However the credibility crisis that is rocking the game he loves the most has left him with no other choice but to express his views through his blog. It is a sad state of affairs that some unscrupulous players have brought disrepute to the great game by their personal greed and avarice.
It appears that this has been the chance that many detractors of the game of cricket were looking for to come down heavily on the game. They are out with their knives and attacking the game with opinions that call for a ban on IPL or even a ban on the game of cricket as a whole. It is a shame that three players, who were made famous by the game, have been instrumental in bringing ignominy to the gentlemen's game.
In cricket, as in any other profession, nothing can substitute personal integrity and discipline in defining how successful a person could ever become. We have many an example in cricket, where the lack of the previously mentioned qualities has become the undoing of a player. Therefore, when news of the spot-fixing scandal was breaking on news channels, with the images of its three protagonists flashing on television screens, there was a sense of déjà vu for all of us.
Yes, there was a sense that we have seen it before, we are seeing it now and we will see it again in the future. That BCCI didn’t take strong enough actions against players who were found guilty on spot-fixing allegation last season of IPL has resulted in the repetition of the crime in this season too. Many in the country doubt that the bosses of BCCI are not very much interested in protecting and enhancing the image of the game but in utilising the popularity of the game in filling their coffers and in usurping greater power. It is high time that the government take steps to flush out all those in BCCI who are not cricketers. As of now, the committee is dominated by businessmen and politicians, some of whom haven’t even played galli cricket. What good can anyone expect from these men to cricket in India?
Being a commercial heavyweight, India, and as an extension the BCCI, wields enormous power in international cricket. We have seen many occasions where the BCCI had resorted to arm twisting tactics to bring the international cricket under its control and to make the ICC change rules and laws in accordance with its whims and fancies. Because of this there is a general discontent against BCCI among many cricket associations around the world. They are surely going to use this opportunity to slam the BCCI for its lack of transparency and its inability in preventing corruption and fixing cases.
This writer had the privileged opportunity to read Gulu Ezekiel’s biography of Sachin Tendulkar, Sachin. The various instances depicted in the book of the love for the game, personal integrity, commitment and patriotism of the Master Batsman had given goose bumps to him. The way in which he overcame not only fearsome opponent bowlers and lack of talent in his team but also treachery and betrayal of some of his team mates, is a matter of pride for every citizen of this great nation. Much like Tendulkar, other players of his generation like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman are also men of great personal uprightness and commitment. It defies human understanding how players who have had chances to share dressing room with such legends can stoop this low and cheat their own teams for a few bucks.
This is not the time to cry over the lowering standards of integrity of the players and do nothing. It is imperative for the BCCI and all the franchisees of the IPL to provide all assistance to the Delhi Police and the Mumbai Police in their investigations on the spot-fixing scandal. If the players are found guilty then they should be given immaculate punishment which would act as a deterrent to future players from indulging in fixing matches. The scandal that has come to the fore appears only to be a tip of the iceberg. It is very important to go deep to the roots of this issue and identify the places where the rot has happened. If the whole system is flawed, it should be corrected as soon as possible before people’s mistrust on this great game would put its future to jeopardy.
