March 29, 2014
There have been many questions passing the lips of cricket enthusiasts following the Supreme Court's order.
The thirst for cash by players, administrators, sponsors and, crucially, bookmakers, created an orgy of the sort cricket had never seen.
March 29, 2014
There have been many questions passing the lips of cricket enthusiasts following the Supreme Court's order.
The thirst for cash by players, administrators, sponsors and, crucially, bookmakers, created an orgy of the sort cricket had never seen.
Chief among them will be: has the IPL lost credibility in the world game? A more pertinent enquiry is: did it have any in the first place? The inter-city franchise league revolutionized cricket, of that there is no doubt. Yet not long after its record busting first season in 2008, it has continued to be dogged by scandal, impropriety and innuendo.
The thirst for cash by players, administrators, television companies, sponsors and, crucially, bookmakers, created an orgy of the sort cricket had never seen. Its raison d'etre was money.
The thirst for cash by players, administrators, television companies, sponsors and, crucially, bookmakers, created an orgy of the sort cricket had never seen. Its raison d'etre was money.
When you live by the sword, however, you die by it. Whether the IPL, or N Srinivasan, will now fall on theirs remains to be seen. Certainly the IPL faces its nadir while Srinivasan, capable of squirming out of the tightest holes because of his gross bulk, is a sullied "nauseating" figure.
With the SC demanding that Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals be excluded from the next season, which is slated to begin in April, there has been an effort to scrub away the grubby stainBSE 4.97 % of corruption. It is an unparalleled move at top-level sport, one designed to restore credibility not just to the tournament and cricket but India itself.
The IPL was a euphemism for modern India. As sixes flew over the boundary, at a stroke the country's reputation was enhanced. As music blared its vibrancy echoed around the world. As cheerleaders sashayed, millions sat up and thought 'hey, India's looking good'.
The real tragedy of the tale, therefore, is that India lost new-found friends and fans because the IPL has been unmasked as a euphemism for the bad old India. One which is archaic, dishonest and institutionally corrupt.
Within the cricketing fraternity around the world the IPL's reputation has been poor for some time. Players and coaches have spoken off the record that they believe matches were fixed, players and officials nobbled. They remain tantalized, however, because it represents a pay day like no other.
It is more important what the spectator or armchair supporter thinks. Wave after wave of spot-fixing scandals have taken their toll. With each breaker, swathes have had faith washed away. Since the first edition, TV ratings have dropped from 4.8 to 2.9 and an estimated $1 billion has been wiped from its value. For confidence to be restored, or at least retained at its current level, the purge needs to continue. The Supreme Court has made a start. They must finish the job. Whether they are capable is another vital question.
The Super Kings and Royals franchises should be disbanded in line with IPL rules, a breach relating to conduct which brings the tournament into disrepute. As far as Chennai are concerned it also removes the frankly nefarious occurrence of a BCCI chief owning a team in a BCCI competition.
Courtesy: PTI
