“Illegal Indian bookmakers remain uncowed by successful prosecutions against professional cricketers involved in match-fixing judging by an undercover investigation by the Sunday Times. The UK newspaper has brought yet more claims that corruption opportunities remain rife and have again brought into question the ability of the ICC to police the game without concerted support from the authorities worldwide”. This is what I read early in the morning today, the first thing that I read is no more a happy affair, it is now a bout of controversies, lies and deception.
With the ongoing match fixing allegation doing the rounds, I often wonder what has happened to the face of sports? Is a cheap bait enough to lure out people?? Be it IPL or our own “swear matches” things have become distorted and vague.
The last year’s gory allegation has brought forth many issues that the Sports fraternity, precisely Cricket may have been avoiding. One is the issue of match fixing and unfair means that float heavily even today, the board should take all these issues with utmost seriousness and come up with a long term solution.
Not long ago, I had read that the allegation of match fixing in England had got some players in Pakistan behind the bars, then why can’t the Indian judiciary do something like that on the same lines?
An Indian bookmaker recently said that he could match-fix matches wherever he could want and however, if this is the way things happen, then should we not come up with a stringent law?
I think time has come, for all to sit and say and say an affirmative NO to things that are incorrect, I personally feel that, time has come that the BCCI should take note and act promptly.
By Ronisha Bhattacharyya
Views are personal
