Fixing dangers return to haunt Indian cricket

"First over, second ball" those words used by TP Sudhindra agreeing to bowl a no-ball off the second ball of his first over in the hitherto unknown Indore T20 league match, represent the first-known instance of spot-fixing in Indian cricket.

Sudhindra and four other cricketers - all of whom are contracted to play in the IPL - have been suspended by the BCCI pending an inquiry, in what promises to be the toughest test yet for BCCI, the richest and most powerful cricket board, and Indian cricket.

That these events will have a major impact on the IPL is inevitable - however, the ramifications of this for Indian cricket might be far greater. Even though the evidence on an IPL link presently appears to be thin - the ultra-competitive nature of the media business could well mean that India TV, the channel behind the sting, has more to offer - but it would be myopic to see this as an open-and-shut IPL-only case, as it involves players at state level, who eventually go on to play for India. Another point which would be pertinent and again ignored conveniently is that three of the five players were caught on tape being encouraged to negotiate deals with other teams and not fixing, per se. The worry for Indian cricket should be that a current domestic cricketer was indeed willing to bowl pre-arranged no-balls and that this cricketer was also part of the current IPL edition.

Indian cricket would not be the first time a sport has been haunted by fixing allegations. In the last decade every major sport has had to deal with the prospect and reality of results being influenced by external factors. Tennis, Football, Formula 1 and even bids for Olympics have had incidents which resulted in investigations. And contrary to the general perception of sports governing bodies being lethargic once enquires established the allegations of fixing as true sanctions were quite severe. Cricket itself has barely recovered from blow after blow suffered over the last decade starting with the HansieCronje match-fixing saga in 2000 all the way to the Butt-Amir-Asif spot-fixing case followed immediately by fixing allegations in English county cricket which led to Mervyn Westfield sentenced to prison in 2011-12.

Cricket is never going to rid itself of the dangers of fixing and at times it would certainly look like a losing battle. However, the Boards of all major test playing nations have to put in place punishments, procedures and safeguards for players to be punished when found guilty as well protected in cases where they have reported such approaches. It is essential that the confidence of the biggest stakeholders in any sport – the fans – is not eroded and that cynicism (already quite prevalent) does not become the overwhelming response to every unusual shot played, ball bowled, dismissal, fielding effort or even match result. It might be tempting to argue that cricket has seen crises bigger than this and has survived but nothing turns fans away from a sport than a feeling that the result is contrived or manipulated by forces outside the field and once the fans leave, the broadcasters, advertisers and sponsors cannot be far behind. Fixing will hurt many more than just a few teams or individuals and strikes at the very foundations of the sport.

This is also the right opportunity for the BCCI to show that it has a strong intent to keep Indian cricket clean. It is probably a blessing in disguise that this particular stain that has now hit Indian cricket is not yet IPL-linked. The incidents in question where the spot-fixing occurred were for Indian cricket’s other domestic competitions. The banning of the five players is the first and the right step and has to be followed up with a full-scale investigate and the BCCI has done well in acting quickly. However, that is not where they should be stopping - mere press statements and banning of players will not make cricket any cleaner. These illegal bookmakers cannot be kept away from the game if the body responsible for running the sport does not show the commitment and determination to act. The BCCI has to control what it can and in this particular case it has to be the players, and the IPL teams.  Of the factors the BCCI has to control the most obvious would be to educate the players and support staff about the dangers of fixing. Having a round-the-clock helpline where players can report approaches by bookies would be a great step in giving players the assurance that the Board will stand by them as long they do not deviate from the straight and narrow and stay away from aligning themselves with dubious individuals. The players, many of them at an impressionable age in terms being exposed to the riches, the glitz and the glamour of the sport, have to be educated that there is never a solitary instance of fixing and it quickly becomes a vortex from which they would never be able to extricate themselves. Importantly, the BCCI has to convey to the players that it will always be there to help.

Where the IPL is involved the franchises also become part of the equation and they play a huge role in insulating their players from influences which could sway them towards fixing. While the incidents involving Pakistani cricketers and English domestic cricketers were for the longer formats of the game, the T20 version is the most prone to spot-fixing. The action happens in such a blur relative to the other formats that a no-ball, or a wide really goes unnoticed. This makes the IPL very fertile ground for fixing. In its inaugural year and already the Bangladesh Premier League has been rocked by fixing allegations and the IPL can consider itself quite lucky that is has not been majorly affected by any spot- or match-fixing controversies since its inception so far.

The outrage in the forums and social media of the online world following India’s disastrous tours of England and Australia were ample proof that the Indian cricket fan still values the performance of the Indian team above everything else. The threat Indian cricket now faces in relation to spot-fixing is that it will be rapidly downhill for the game and the team if the Indian team itself falls prey to fixing allegations and that is bound to happen if no lasting action is taken to ensure this stain does not spread. It will not take long for fixing which has affected one obscure domestic game to next be in an IPL game and from there on a Ranji trophy match all the way to an international contest featuring India. A lot of confidence following the dark days of the Hansie Cronje affair in 2000 had been restored as Indian cricket entered its own Golden Era with legends like Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble, Laxman, and Sehwag being led admirably by Saurav Ganguly. Now as we come full circle and these legends near their respective retirements India cannot afford to step into an uncertain future lugging the same baggage of doubt it hoped it had shed a decade ago. In addition to the fans, the BCCI also has a responsibility to those hundreds of cricketers who slog day in and day out just so they can make their dreams come true. If all of them were of the same corrupt mindsets this game would have been finished in India long ago. The fear of everyone being painted with the same brush is a real one and a grossly unfair for the majority who are still honest in their endeavours and playing the game for the sheer love of it while also hoping that one day they get the biggest reward – selection to the Indian team.

The BCCI is the richest and the most powerful body in the world of cricket. While that does not mean they be blamed for other teams playing two-test series there should be not a shred of doubt in the highest echelons that it is the Board’s duty to protect Indian cricket and more than anything else (even more than influencing the FTP, wrangling over DRS, the rejection of the WADA clauses or the non-invitation of Bangladesh to tour India) the BCCI has to ensure it remains strong enough to be able to repel fixing from at least Indian cricket. Once the intent is shown to do something about match- and spot-fixing the game can try to clean itself up on a more global level. Now is the time to open those coffers and get the best brains on board to tackle fixing.