In an age where responsible journalism has become extinct, ‘Deccan Chronicle’ forced some of the gravest fixers to change the planned script of the IPL. The newspaper not only forced some of the bigwigs to go against their own plot, but also posted a few tweets (from some of the fans) that questioned the authenticity of the tournament. For years now, the betting scams have gone unquestioned.
S Sreesanth payed the price for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing, but why were some of the superstars of cricket spared? When the IPL auctions were being broadcast live this year, I was dead sure that MS Dhoni would get back Bravo (since Raina & Jadeja) had already been retained by the franchise. Sreesanth who was a part of the World Cup winning squads (both T-20 in 2007 & ODIs in 2011) told Republic editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in a candid interview that he was the only one who was paying the price, while other cricketers (probably more powerful & influential) had escaped.
We live in a world where accusations can easily be levelled against anyone. But why didn’t MS Dhoni and others, who were accused of fixing, not address the media and clarify that they had never rigged any game. A lot of fans were angry when India lost the Champions Trophy final to Pakistan last year. Many claimed that it was fixed. Self-proclaimed critic Kamaal R Khan (KRK) claimed that the match was rigged. He also named 2 prolific Indian cricketers and said that they should be ashamed of themselves for having valued money above the nation.
When I watched India lose the final to Pakistan, I was devastated like any other Indian fan. I didn’t see any remorse on the Indian skipper’s face. Continuing from where I left, why didn’t those 2 prolific cricketers who were named by Kamaal R Khan, in an embarrassing tweet, not file a defamation suit against KRK? This would have reassured the public that there is still a certain amount of integrity left in its top cricketers and the ‘Game is not sold out’.
The Deccan Chronicle article pointed out that a leaked ‘Hotstar’ video had predicted a CSK-KKR final. Owing to the paper’s timely article, I believe the script was edited. Millions of fans invest heavily in the IPL every year. More than the monetary part, it is an investment of hope – that their team will win the IPL. I’m sure many powerful institutions are involved in this dirty racket. Going by the trend, MI are favourites to lift the coveted trophy next year. But hey, wait…Who knows another hard-hitting article may save the day.