IPL 2013: Preity Zinta calls for legalising betting, polygraph tests for players

Preity Zinta said it is wrong to point fingers at the tournament as a whole © IANS

New Delhi: May 21, 2013

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Kings XI Punjab owners Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia have suggested novel ways of ending spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League, including legalising betting, subjecting players to polygraph tests and making franchise owners part of the IPL Governing Council.

Talking to news channel CNN IBN, Zinta said, “There should be stronger measures by the anti-corruption unit to monitor it [spot-fixing] and I know I am digressing a bit, but may be if we legalise betting, it would not be a problem.”

Zinta said it’s wrong to point fingers at the tournament as a whole. “I think it is very unfair to say that every thing points a finger at the IPL. What these players are doing is their individual choice,” Preity said.

Zinta also called for random polygraph tests on players: “Put random polygraph tests the same way the players have random doping tests. You never see any player doing drugs when a game gets over because of these random doping tests.”

Co-owner Wadia said, “We have continuously from year one asked the BCCI to be included in their committees, to be included in helping them to work with us, to run the IPL and make it what it was in year one.”