Match fixing controversy refuses to die

Hyderabad, Nov 19 (INN): The match fixing controversy refuses to die and pops up like a phoenix at the most unlikely situations and this time around it has come out of the slumber on the eve of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards function, which pays tribute to world cricket heroes.

As coincidence would have it, the Award was instituted in the year 1996, the year that has run into the eye of the storm for skipper Mohamad Azharuddin electing to field against Sri Lanka in the World Cup semi finals and lost badly.

Vinod Kambli raked up the issue again opening a fresh leaf of the unfinished chapter and the former captain has hit back in equal force and measure.

Allegations and denials apart, match fixing has got lot footage and reams of paper were consumed on the subject in regional, national and international media.

Based on the inquiry by a former CBI top cop, BCCI imposed ban on Md Azharuddin, who was at the helm of Indian affairs and in the thick of the controversy when the scandal broke out; the gentleman's game was never the same again.

Be it cricketers from South Africa, Pakistan, Australia, India the game behind the game has always gained popularity. During every major cricket match or on the eve of big games, it is a common site to see police posing with a couple of people, cell phones and some cash under the headline 'Cricket betting racket busted'.

Whether or not betting is order of the day, the plain fact remains that there is lot of cash flow in terms of revenue and outflow and BCCI remains the richest autonomous body the country with the Government having little or no control over it.

Pitched battles are fought for the top post and seasoned politicians, irrespective of party affiliations, associate themselves with the country's cricketing body in one way or the other.

The general feeling that matches are fixed has gained more currency and stood stark exposed recently when the English court convicted Pakistani cricketers for spot fixing which can be dubbed as the 20-20 version of match fixing, where the trade goes on a ball-to-ball scale.

Films like Jannat has shown the ugly face of cricketing and how betting is operated with Emran Hashmi playing the swindler's role and look-alike characters of Indian batsmen too were shown.

Ninety-nine(99), the other film on betting in cricket, drives home the message that a film can be there without a script but for every cricket match the script is written in advance (fixing).

Back to the war of words, Vinod Kambli's allegations were against Azhar's decision to field against Sri Lanka, which according to him was questionable and Azhar retorted saying that it was a group decision.

All things remaining same, BCCI has to clear Azhar's name and lift the ban imposed on him even as many unanswered questions, involving various nations on the betting scandal, still elude a convincing answer.

Spot betting is something that needs the attention of concerned authorities after the English crackdown.