Unite to thwart people who sell soul of cricket
Cricket is being repeatedly hit by scandals. Hardly had the ball-tampering scandal ended and resulted in two of the finest batsmen in the game getting banned for a year when Al Jazeera TV’s unearthed instances of pitch fixing and spot fixing in Test matches. Now, there is yet another alleged betting scandal in the Indian Premier League, this time involving Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan.
What is worrying is whether these investigations could impact and end the careers of some of the top cricketers.
Scandals happen because some cricketers, despite their enormous skills, are not willing to play according to the spirit of the game. They forget to respect the very sport that has given them fame and money. Steven Smith and David Warner committed the unsporting act of ball-tampering, simply because they failed to respect the rules and the spirit of the sport. Al Jazeera TV revelations mention involvement of some cricketers, and if any of them are found guilty, it is likely to end their careers like some of them in the past.
Even though every cricketer is well aware of the enormous shame that awaits him if caught for corrupting the sport, many still fall prey to the lure of quick money. Players know what happened to the careers of many great players, right from the late Hansie Cronje, who had to admit with tears in his eyes that he did indulge in matchfixing.
Innovative ways
The greed for money gets many to indulge in spot or match-fixing despite cricket giving them a comfortable life. A cricketer who hobnobs with a bookie must be educated on the fact that bookies who thrive in gambling are also getting him to gamble with his career.
Though the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit is trying hard to end this menace, bookies have been coming up with innovative ways like luring curators to change the result of the game. Unless and until every cricketer makes a concentrated effort to refrain from being influenced by these criminals and restrain teammates from committing the crime, it is hard to wipe away this menace.
Every cricketer should also ensure that the faith people have in cricket is never destroyed. It is his duty to ensure that fans believe that an intense match where he played was real and not fixed. The ICC has been educating cricketers on how to keep away from criminals who look out to fix matches; but cricketers will hardly be able to identify these crooks. They come in different forms such as influential people and even celebrities.
Hence, it is not only cricketers but everyone associated with the game who must block these people who have no qualms in selling the soul of cricket for money.
Though the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit is trying hard to end this menace, bookies have been coming up with innovative ways.