Published: Jan 15, 2016, 07:13 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 15, 2016, 07:13 PM (IST)
Cricket is a gentlemen’s game which has no place for shameful acts like match-fixing. South Africa may be one of the top cricketing sides but the country had to face a lot of trauma when the match-fixing cloud hooted at them when the Hansie Cronje scandal broke out in 2000. The impact of the incident was massive on the sport. Cronje, then the captain, was accused of the revealing team’s information and asking certain players to underperform.
It was Delhi Police who broke it and not just South African supports, fans in general had lost faith from the game. Scars like these take years and decades to heal. Initially, Cronje, one of the most respected figures, denied of the charges but eventually confessed and accepted of being guilty and dishonest to gentlemen’s game.
It seems that reminiscent of those days are back to haunt the cricket mad nation as in a recent case, Cricket South Africa has confirmed that national cricketer Gulam Bodi has been charged under CSA’s anti corruption code for “contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects of the 2015 RAM SLAM T20 Challenge Series”. Bodi was a part of the Delhi Daredevils side in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2012.
Bodi is widely reckoned for his role in Kevin Pietersen’s move to England. Bodi was roped in by Natal at the cost of Pietersen which compelled the latter to shuffle to England.
Bodi has his roots from India, he was born in Hathran in Gujarat and as a teenager his family relocated to South Africa. He was featured for the South Africa Under-19 side in the 1998 World Cup.
According to a report in Indian Express, Lorgat said in a CSA statement. “Following our investigations and due process, we have reached a point where we can confirm that Mr Bodi is the intermediary who was charged by CSA in early December 2015 under the CSA Anti-Corruption Code,” said CSA Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat. “Mr Bodi is presently co-operating with the CSA Anti-Corruption officials. We now await his response to the charges and the matter will take its course in accordance with the process outlined in the Code.”
CSA said that pending receipt of his response, Bodi has been temporarily suspended under Article 4.7.1 of the Code.
It says, “The provisional suspension means that Bodi may not be involved in any capacity in any match or any other kind of function, event or activity (other than authorised anti-corruption education or rehabilitation programmes) that is authorised, organised, sanctioned, recognised or supported in any way by CSA, the ICC, a National Cricket Federation or any member of a National Cricket Federation,” the CSA said. “In accordance with the provisions of the Code, CSA will not comment publicly on the specific facts of this matter as the case is pending.”
CSA had declined to provide much detail and said that the person has been charged with “contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects of the 2015 Ram Slam T20 Challenge Series and with failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to co-operate with (the) investigation”.
If found guilty, Bodi could face a jail sentence under the South African Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act Law. The law was passed in 2004 after the infamous Cronje match-fixing scandal stunned the cricket fraternity in the same year.
The punishment in the Act range from a fine to imprisonment of between five years and life. To discourage these shameful acts CSA is expected to give a harsh verdict.
