May 31, 2013
The Little Master said he was shocked and angry over recent reports on the spot-fixing saga in IPL
May 31, 2013
The Little Master said he was shocked and angry over recent reports on the spot-fixing saga in IPL
NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar, MP, India's top cricketing icon known to choose his words wisely, on Friday broke his silence on the betting-fixing scandal and the crisis gripping the game's administrators, BCCI, following president N Srinivasan's bull-headed denial that there was any crisis at all.
"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," Tendulkar said in a statement, while nudging the authorities "to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue".
When the greats of the game of past and present have been tight-lipped over the issue that has tarnished the image of Indian cricket, Tendulkar's comments might do the work of soothing the feelings of many fans who felt cheated when the scandal came into light.
Tendulkar's statement comes at a time when Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni has kept stubbornly silent despite being repeatedly questioned on the crisis.
But whenever Tendulkar has spoken out in the past, his words have almost always had the intended effect, largely because of the immense moral weight his utterances have in the country.
Greg Chappell found this out in 2007 when the BCCI appeared to be dithering over whether to oust the Australian as coach, following a poor World Cup campaign and mounting differences with senior players.
In an outburst in TOI, Tendulkar had said, "Paani sar se ooncha ho gaya hai (Things have gone a bit too far). I've given my heart and soul for 17 years. No coach had mentioned even in passing that my attitude was not correct."
This forced Chappell to put in his papers. Tendulkar's statement comes now in the wake of mounting pressure on Srinivasan to resign following the arrest of his son-in-law in the betting scandal.
Having recently retired from the IPL, Tendulkar urged the powers-that-be to "justify" the faith reposed by the millions of fans and we owe it to them to ensure that Indian cricket is all about pride and joy."
"As cricketers we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game. 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 country, who trust the authorities, to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue."
With former cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri drawing flak for having become IPL mouthpieces and not acknowledging the gravity of the crisis, Tendulkar's breakaway effort comes as an important reminder of his stature.
Courtesy: PTI
