BCCI president N. Srinivasan, who also runs a company that owns an IPL team, has said the Board will follow the rulebook before handing down punishment to S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of Rajasthan Royals, accused of spot-fixing, and that it is handicapped when it comes to controlling bookies.
The gentleman’s game seems to have become a gamblers’ paradise. IPL matches are played even while some parts of the country reel under severe power shortage and drought. Thousands of students are disturbed as the matches take place during the examination season. The only motivation for IPL matches is money. It is time the League was banned.
Chelladurai Williams,
Chennai
The BCCI is a body of businessmen with political support. It is unlikely to take any harsh decisions to check money-making in IPL cricket. Like any other scam or corruption case, the spot-fixing issue will die in course of time.
Sivaraman Sridharan,
Tiruchi
There was a time when the game was played in true spirit, and players respected one another. Let us ban all forms of instant cricket, which are money-spinners, and go back to just Test cricket.
N.G. Subramaniam,
Thiruvananthapuram
Every word in the article “ >The boy who never grew up ” (May 18) was true. Sreesanth never maintained the dignity of the game in spite of his having played with some of the best gentlemen cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Dravid. Despite making good money in cricket and advertisements, he showed interest in a quick buck which is a shame.
P. Anjana,
Thiruvananthapuram
The IPL’s popularity has been marred by the controversy. The three players have duped their audience, destroyed the reputation of the game and their state by their shameful act. This will have an adverse impact on the younger generation of players and cricket lovers of the country. The splendid job done by the Delhi police should be lauded.
The sorry tale of IPL matches has proved that the BCCI is interested only in making huge profits and not in preventing corruption. The three players should not only be banned from playing all forms of cricket but, if found guilty, also punished under the law.
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar,
Jalpaiguri
While the players who committed a breach of trust by falling prey to the lure of bookies and are therefore liable to be punished (if proved guilty), the owners of IPL teams who, with their heavy investment, have offered a fertile ground for lucrative betting, besides degrading the majesty of the game, are also responsible for the moral decline of cricket and cricketers.
B. Gurumurthy,
Madurai
Teams playing in the IPL part with a heavy amount and do everything possible to recover it. It is money all the way and players too get interested in getting a part of the booty. With the IPL thriving season after season, bookies find every way to exploit the 150 minutes of the match.
C.K. Ramani,
Mumbai
Gambling cannot be rooted out by force or by deploying policemen on and off the field. With the advent of cellphones and the Internet, it is difficult to trace betting rackets. This may be the reason many developing countries allow legal betting on various sporting activities. The least harmful solution to break the nexus between players and betting rackets is to legalise betting.
C. Koshy John,
Pune
It is not fair to blame only the IPL or its franchisees for the sad state of affairs. It is up to individuals to give in to greed or to resist. Cricket in India will not lose its charm because of what Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan have done. We have many great players who have given everything for cricket. We can never forget Sachin, who played for the country in the 1999 World Cup three days after his father’s death; Anil Kumble, who bowled with a broken jaw and bandage on his head against the West Indies; and Yuvraj Singh, who came back to represent the country after being treated for cancer. Millions of Indians are inspired by the commitment of these extraordinary gentlemen of Indian cricket. One Sreesanth cannot malign the image of the game. Cricket will, in fact, be better off without the few tainted players. Let us congratulate the Delhi police.
Angom Amarjit Singh,
Ningthoukhong
The fact remains that the IPL is highly successful and popular in India. There is fantastic entertainment — we have cricket as well as a festive atmosphere with cheerleaders. Many youngsters from India are performing well. No cricketing country can conduct a tournament of this size and duration. The BCCI deserves credit for its excellent organisational capacity.
The darker side of the IPL is there is no financial transparency. The audited balance sheet of every IPL season should be published in leading newspapers. It would be the first step towards avoiding financial malpractices.
N. Mohan,
Chennai
