The latest to jump the band wagon is a player who apparently came out of a 15-year hibernation or, perhaps, loss of memory to accuse skipper Azharuddin and the entire Indian team that played in the 1996 World cup, of having "fixed" the semifinal against Sri Lanka, the ultimate champions.

One would have normally dismissed the far-fetched accusation of Vinod Kambli with the contempt it deserved. But the electronic media, in particular, has made such a song and dance over the issue, as if it was for the first time that such a fixing charge has emerged, that we are prompted to at least offer patent comment. Having covered the match at the Eden Gardens, my memory blissfully hasn't faded.

It has become fashionable these days, with the coming of multiple news channels and the TRP that goes with it, to seek cheap publicity by delving on the sensational. Kambli, who had tried his hand at acting and what not on television, has now chosen a different route of "the breaking news." He thought that by displaying histrionics and shedding maudlin tears he could turn fiction into truth.

He sounded dramatic when he said, "I just stood at one end, and saw five wickets gone down so easily and quickly." Let me give you the line-up of the Indian team for that match. Here goes, N.S. Sidhu, S.R. Tendulkar, S.V. Manjrekar, M. Azharuddin, V. Kambli, J. Srinath, A.D. Jadeja, N. Mongia, Ashish Kapoor, A. Kumble and S.L.V.Raju. Kambli alone claims to be a paragon of virtue while most others threw away their wickets according to him. Needless to say, all the players have called the charge ridiculous. Stupid and a big lie.

The reason why India tumbled to 123 for 8, in reply to Lanka's 251 was that the wicket at Eden suddenly crumbled. Although coach Ajit Wadekar did not like the looks of it, no one could read that wicket. It turned square and only Tendulkar and Manjrekar could negotiate the vicious turn. Kambli, like others probed and missed several times and could hardly put bat to ball.

When the crowd hurled bottles and invaded the field, match commissioner Clive Lloyd awarded the match to Sri Lanka. The media, advised to stay put, worked with flames rising all round. Through the billowing embers and smoke, we wondered how could such a terrible wicket be prepared for a World Cup semifinal? Later, on the basis of Lloyd’s report, ICC sent a notice to the BCCI for providing a sub-standard wicket that did not last even a few hours.

All former players have condemned Kambli for raking up a needless controversy 15 years after. There was a huge upheaval in 2000 when the lid over high betting and match fixing was lifted with Hansie Cronje's infamous confessions. World Cup semifinal of 1996 wasn't even remotely mentioned. Now in 2011, one Vinod Kambli has fug the grave of Eden Gardens. Worse still is that Sports Minister Ajay Maken's anti-cricket sentiment has got the better of his wisdom and he wants a probe.

Are we not gradually turning the serious issue of match and spot fixing into a joke.