Given the arrests “we got a result guv’nor”. After copious phone taps, obviously, ASADA aren’t conducting an investigation or player interviews in the IPL.
It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that spot fixing has been uncovered in the “lucrative” Indian Premier League.
Rumours that the fix is in have followed like a contagion from the defunct ICL (where several players were accused of fixing and given unofficial bans but nothing formally announced).
Cricket has attracted gamblers almost from its very beginning. And by that, I mean the 17th century.
Queen Elizabeth 1 had banned the game completely because of the betting taint and the early English tours of the Antipodes were seen as the perfect foil for horse racing punters as much as entertainment for cricket dilettantes.
What does come as a surprise is that a player as well-known and as well-remunerated as Shantukumaran Sreesanth, The Kerala Express, would be involved.
Sreesanth is what is colloquially described as “a colourful character”. He walks to the beat of a different drum, but a beat I found as his coach in IPL3 with the now defunct Kochi Tuskers that included not just a high level self-direction but also a high level of integrity and discipline.
He spoke his mind and never bothered that his views may have diverged significantly from his team-mates.
On the field, he gave everything and had pride in that giving.
The two other Rajastan Royals players captured in the sting are lessor actors on a very big stage who are paid somewhat lower rupees than the Sree.
You can understand a little more, at least, why players on lower contracts might want to flaunt the law to supplement their salary. The Sree should have no need for that motivation and yet the first examination of his actions scream from the highest light tower – GREED!
There are shades of Hansie in this one, although let’s not jump to conclusions just yet as Sreesanth has cried his innocence and the Delhi police didn’t present any hard evidence at the initial hearing.
The jury is out for him at least but Anket Chavan has reportedly confessed under heavy examination.
The game in India is particularly vulnerable to fraud as there are so many bookmakers; they are not registered; there are few records of wagers placed; cricket is the biggest game in town; and millions of people want a slice of the action.
Herding cats has a higher success rate than controlling gambling on the sub-continent.
Having regulatory bodies who can examine every wager and tie it to a specific action, and the government can claim some revenue on the turnover, has plenty of upside and Australia has so few of the volatile ingredients of India.
Let’s face it: there are enough problems with peptides, supplements and dress codes without wading into murky waters thrashing around with flippers on.
Icebergs and their apexes often get dragged into the conversation when big names in major competitions are indicted.
After all, if a trio are netted, there must be others getting away with it somewhere.
Let’s cross our fingers and toes and hope not.
All this bother almost makes you happy that you can’t watch the IPL on Australian television.
Maybe if Channel 10 win the rights?
While a premature retirement isn’t the solution, he or England want, he may be forced into it if he can’t maintain a long run of matches.
Check out some of the short-arm pull shots from Rocky Flintoff!
Harshal Patel was not a happy man!
David Lord has been remembered as an icon of Australian sports journalism following his death, aged 84. The renowned writer and broadcaster was an…
Sign the man up for a contract next season!
A brutal century by Travis Head has blasted Sunrisers Hyderabad back into the Indian Premier League play-off places in another match for bowlers to…
