The cricketing world is like private club. A select few gain
admittance (your full members today!) and there is always a long waiting list
for entry. (the associate countries). The one's inside make their own set of
rules on how to run the club and you find some are more powerful/popular than
the rest who has a "bigger pull". This is how I see the universe of cricket
today. Now before fans start calling for my head; I love the game, have played
it from when I could hold a bat in my hand and have too many bruised and broken
bones from diving and being hit for a count but let's be honest, is the ICC
really anything less than the crude analogy I refer???
But I digress. You or me have no powers really to change (no
matter how much it needs to!)how the game is run. What I want to go on about
are the bouncers that we as fans are served with increasing frequency.
In April of 2000 the cricketing world was rocked by its
first major storm when the South African captain and one of the game's most
respected figure Hansie Cronje admitted to taking money from Indian bookies to
deliberately underperform and encourage teammates to do the same thereby fixing matches South Africa played in. I still
remember the TV coverage and his tear stricken face something a 12 year old me
could not really grasp but it saddened me even then. This ensured a period of promises,
soul searching on how the game is run and steps to fix the gentlemen's game and
13 years later I am still unsure what if anything these steps have achieved. We did get some years of normalcy and then
came the cricket world cup of 2007 and we got strike 2!!! Two major upsets in
the form of India and Pakistan losing to Bangladesh and Ireland and the
"small" matter of the Pakistan coach who incidentally is a South
African found dead in the team hotel and the words match fixing and betting
syndicate were being uttered in hushed tones again!! *Inset own
conspiracy theory about the evil Indian bookie market and how they clear
away anyone who stands in their paths here……
Before I continue an honorable mention needs to be made of
three Pakistani players including the captain being banned for various periods
for spot fixing… an issue I will try coming back to later.
I think a major issue here is that cricket to an extent has
always played 2nd string to football.. Be that in terms of popularity or the
financial incentive involved in the sport. All this changed with the advent of
cricket's newest baby T20 and the advent of the premier league system. Finally
cricketers the world over had a stage to showcase their talent and for many it
gave a chance to consider taking up this sport as a serious career.
I won't go into the BPL and all the sordid financial mess it
is in but let us start with the birth place of this system in India. A 'rebel'
league called the Indian Cricket League(the same concept as the later day IPL)
was started. The BCCI first cried foul as it was not their idea….. then
resorted to huffing and puffing and using their pull to discourage players from
joining. They threatened and got bans enforced on national and international
players who didn't follow the line.
Finally coming up with the 'innovative' idea and dubbed it the Indian Premier
League cricket's ultimate glamour baby filled with Razzmataaz!!
Ignoring the slightly dubious circumstances of its birth
only a cynic will ignore the good sides of this system. Regardless of the
Indian, Australian, Sri Lankan or Bangladeshi model the financial security and
the confidence it gave to the youngsters are undeniable. From the glam of film
stars to serious cricket entertainment; from the brutal hitting of Gayles and
Maccullums to the successful purist approach of your Dravids and Kallis the IPL
offered something for everyone. The organizers got a pat for a good job and for us fans all was well
again in the world…
Small hiccups existed in the league but as they were off the
field we lived with that. But like a bad habit you can't hide spot fixing resurfaced. Three players an Indian
international included was arrested for spot fixing and now the flood gates
just burst forth. A so called "team owner" Gurunath Meiyappan stands
accused of being directly involved in the scandal. The BCCI President who
himself has a murky relationship with the most successful franchise in the
league happens to be Meiyappan's father-in-law. Their elite team of spin
doctors are trying to put different spins to the issue each more ludicrous then
the last! Saying a lot of things without really saying anything. Like a child
they believe if you pretend it never happened. IT NEVER HAPPENED. We hear
promises of impartial commissions strict actions against guilty are all well
and good but given BCCI's known money muscle!!! I wonder what lies down that
road?? Last checked two top BCCI officials have resigned on their own. But how
many have the decency & courage like them?
So in the end we have the richest sports body in cricket…running
the most expensive league some say as their own "fiefdom" and we find ourselves in this
incomprehensible mess that we are in.
This begs the more interesting question why despite being in
the age of live television and social media people have been largely silent. In
a country where you have riots in stadiums and streets because of their
favorite player failed there hasn't been any squeak of protest in public. Have we as a society reached a moral saturation
and accept fixing gate as normal??? Or have we just gotten sick of cricket??
These are questions that needs answers and no manner of aggressive posturing
can hide these real issues. Oh!! How I wish now for a simpler times when this
game was a "gentlemanly" pursuit ONLY!!
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