The recent scandal of spot-fixing in the sixth edition of the Indian Premium League (IPL) matches reveals that some players are so fixated on money that they do not care for their reputation. Few years back, Sreesanth was considered as one of the leading bowlers for India in Test matches along with Zaheer Khan. His habit of losing temper on the field brought him bad name and most of the time he had been in the headlines for the same reason.
But my point is that we should not jump to conclusion unnecessarily unless and until the guilt is proven. Most of the time the media create sensation by giving the judgment that gives bad name to the concerned person.
We have seen in the past that many players’ careers were ruined due to false implications and the media projected their cases as a threat to the sport’s security. For example, Mohammed Azharuddin, the ex-captain of Indian cricket team and the current Congress MP, was implicated in match fixing case and he was banned for life, but he was proven to be innocent by the High Court. But by the time he was given justice his career was over.
The allegation did not allow him to play his 100th test match. And the second point is that what is the guarantee that the bowler who is delivering a loose ball to a batsman under the influence of spot-fixing will be dispatched for a four or a six? Also, there are many players whose performances are suspicious but they are not touched by the investigative team due to their fame and strong relations with the government personnel. I think the investigation should be done fairly and honestly irrespective of the stature of the players. — Anees Lokhande, Alkhobar
Spot-fixing scandal hits IPL
