“I am disappointed and shocked with the developments that had taken place in the spot-fixing scandal,” says the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar. He expressed by saying, “it’s not just about a corruption, it’s about the fans who have been cheated and it’s time to bring back the trust of them.”
The legendary batsman, who retired from IPL after his side Mumbai Indians won the title recently, said as a cricketer he has always learnt to play in the true spirit of the game. He was quoted by Hindustan Times saying, "It has always hurt me when the game of cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons. The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing. As cricketers we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game.”
He added, "During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer, from the boys in the 'maidans' across the country to those who represent clubs, states and the nation, who trust the authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue."
Cricketing God was quoted by Times of India saying, “This incident has tarnished the clean image of Indian Cricket which is absolutely unacceptable. Authorities must take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue and ensure that faith of the fans has been restored in Indian Cricket.”
"The faith reposed by the millions of fans should be justified and we owe it to them to ensure that Indian cricket is all about pride and joy," the statement added.
Tendulkar's statement on the spot-fixing scandal assumes great importance since none of the current Indian cricketers have spoken on the issue, since it broke out about two weeks ago. Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has let go off the questions on spot-fixing and betting during the couple of press conferences that were conducted in last few days. He did ensured that he will spill the beans at right time.