BCCI would have been rocked and rolled at the IPL spot-fixing

The Board of Control for Cricket in India which boasts of being the power house in all forms of the game and administration, must have been rocked and rolled with the alleged spot-fixing allegations in the Indian Premier League conducted by them.

Before going on to comment further, the question asked is: Is this the tip of an iceberg that has been going since the IPL started? Well it is too early to comment and it is hoped that the Indian investigators will dig out all sordid happenings, if there were any from the outset. Firstly our congratulations go out to the Delhi Police investigators for their efficiency par excellence.

The investigations from the time they received the first information, they bided their time like tigers, and pounce at the correct time to bag their victims.

Under tremendous pressure

They must not top here. True tremendous pressure would be brought to bear on them to stall further investigations. But they must play a straight bat, not leave any opening for their defence to be breached.

Accepted that the high and mighty could move in to stall the investigations. But the investigators must remember that they are doing a sacred job to wipe out the scum from this cricketing earth and must incessantly continue their campaign. Of the three players accused of spot fixing - Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, Chavan has broken down under interrogation by the Delhi Police and admitted his role in the inhuman role.

Shame on Rajasthan Royals

All three culprits are from the Rajasthan Royals who are playing in the IPL. The IPL is paying all payers in the tournament bags of money and it is inexplicable how these players, especially Sreesanth who has played for India could have fallen to temptation.

But things have happened and there is no way out for the three culprits. It is hoped that they and the bookies would be dealt according to the laws and in addition to be fined and jailed will be banned for life as a deterrent to those aiming to indulge in similar inhuman acts. At the time of writing the International Cricket Council has backed the authorities over the suspensions of the three players and said that zero tolerance was the way forward with regards to the suspended played.

Mathews must ask and learn

The dropping of Angelo Mathews the Captain of Pune Warriors by the team’s selectors from some games in the Indian Premier League has not gone down well with his supporters here. His supporters reckon that you don’t drop a captain for poor form with either bat or ball. Captaincy is a different aspect from bat and ball. It sure would have humiliated the young man.

Mathews who was only recently elected Captain of the Sri Lanka Test ad 50 over internationals and is still on a learning curve and he has a lot more asking and learning to do as his captaincy career unwinds. Although it would have hurt and humiliated the young man, it could also prove to be a blessing in disguise because it could make him doubly determined to also make the bat and ball do the talking in the future.

Unlike the selectors of old who laid special emphasis on only captaincy, the present day selectors, players wanting to get into the team and critics are baying for blood. So Mathews must remember that whatever form of cricket, performing in all aspects of the game – batting, bowing, fielding and captaincy must be tops if he is to be persisted with and not benched in the future.

He was on his firs fling as captain against a Bangladesh team that was promising but not threatening and although the visitors proved worthy opponents in the First Test in Galle, they surrendered at the R.Premadasa. And it was a good first outing as captain for Mathews. Accepted that Mathews learnt by playing under and watching from arguably the best Captain Sri Lanka produced since attaining Test status Mahela Jayewardene. Mathews is on record acknowledging Jayewardene.

But Mathews will do better if he makes it his business to speak to former Sri Lankan captains, especially Michael Tissera who helped Sri Lanka win unofficial Tests and Arjuna Ranatunga who won the World Cup for the country and ask and learn. Tissera who took over the country’s captaincy from the Prince of captains Vernon Prins, was the epitome of what a captain is all about. It was his exemplary captaincy, playing the game hard and in the spirit that nudged the Lords at Lord’s and paved the way to gaining Test status.

While Tissera could show and tell Mathews how to played it hard and in the spirit and to the rules, Ranatunga can drive it into him how to antagonize and upset opponents by getting under their skins and stretching the rules to the wire.

We hope that Mathews who is only just 24 and was the youngest to captain the country, will take this advice and endeavour to speak to Tissera and Ranatunga and not think it infra dig.

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