IPL muzzle players in fixing saga
THE Indian Premier League yesterday started an information crackdown following the suspension of five of its players who are suspected of match-fixing.
IPL players have been told not to speak to strangers and to keep away from the media.
“We have been told not to speak to unknown persons. It’s fair enough after whatever happened with those players [caught in the sting],” a player, who is playing in the IPL, told a local newspaper on condition of anonymity.
One of the cricketers in the match-fixing allegations has admitted to making a statement to undercover reporters that implicates him.
Mohnish Mishra, one of five IPL players suspended from the league, said he had only done so “casually” in order to enhance “his value”.
Mishra’s team, Pune Warriors, suspended him soon after it was revealed that he was one of the five caught in the sting operation by India TV which revealed corruption in the IPL.
“We strongly condemn his irresponsible conduct. He will not take any further part in the IPL,” said Pune Warriors owner Sushanto Roy.
The five uncapped Indian players implicated with Mishra are Shalabh Srivastava and Amit Yadav (Kings XI Punjab), TP Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers), and Abhinav Bali.
Srivastava, who has played for two seasons with the Kings XI Punjab, claimed that he was innocent and would put forward his side of the story during the inquiry.
“I deny the charges but don’t want to say anything more as of now. I will put forward my views before the inquiry commissioner. I will wait for that. I respect the BCCI,” he said.
Hindi-language India TV showed Sudhindra, of the Deccan Chargers, allegedly agreeing to bowl pre-arranged no-balls in a local amateur match, while Srivastava was reportedly heard boasting he could do the same in the IPL. The channel claimed it had taped seamer Srivastava telling its reporters he could deliver a no-ball in the IPL for one million rupees.
Kings XI Punjab skipper David Hussey said he would be “very disappointed” if the integrity of his players was questioned.
“Everyone in my team, everyone in Kings XI Punjab plays with utmost integrity,” said Hussey after his team lost to Delhi Daredevils by five wickets in a crucial IPL match.
Indian website Sportzpower reported yesterday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which owns the IPL, “looks set to throw everything and the kitchen sink at the five bit players who have been caught out”.
Yesterday, the Indian sport minister, Ajay Maken, urged the Indian board to get to the “root cause of this problem”.
Shailendra Kumar, an opposition MP, said the problem was politicians heading sports organisations.
A fellow opposition MP, Kirti Azad, who is a former cricketer, demanded an internal audit of Indian sports bodies.
“Ever since politicians have taken over [sports bodies], corruption has seeped and grown from top to bottom,” said Azad. — Sport Staff