Published: Jul 14, 2015, 04:30 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 14, 2015, 04:30 PM (IST)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been barred from participating in the Indian Premier League (IP) for the next two years. This is indeed a historic judgement by the Supreme Court and one which will be a major step in keeping cricket clean, reckons Pramod Ananth.
The spot-fixing saga that rocked cricket two years back has finally come to a conclusion. It had many ups and downs. There were allegations, counter-allegation and cover-ups. But Supreme Court eventually saw right through it and read out a judgement that many had seen coming but never expected it materialise into reality. Full IPL Verdict: Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals suspended for 2 years; Meiyappan, Kundra suspended for life
This is indeed an eye-opener for those who believe that they are invincible, just because they occupy a high office or related to someone who holds a high office. Regardless how big a celebrity you are, or how wealthy you are, everyone is equal in front of the law.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considered one of the biggest cricketing bodies in the world and they don’t back away from showing that off. BCCI is well-respected around the world, but since the IPL spot-fixing saga began and the way it was handled, many eyebrows were raised. IPL Verdict: CSK, RR suspended for 2 years; Gurunath Meiyappan, Raj Kundra suspended for life
N Srinivasan, then BCCI Chief also owner of CSK, denied allegations of his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyppan being a team owner. Srinivasan called Meiyappan a “cricket enthusiast”. Following investigation, Supreme Court caught his lies; Meiyappan and Raj Kundra (co-owner of RR) have been banned from being associated with cricket-related activities for five years.
Few things are as humiliating as a team owner being involved in betting. They fail to see the difference between horses and cricketers. All they care is about making money irrespective of the means. But it is sadder when the players get involved in things like these. CSK & RR banned from IPL: 5 things that are likely to change in Indian T20 Cricket League
Three RR players including S Sreesanth were arrested (later released) for spot-fixing. Sreesanth has been a member of the Indian teams that won World T20 2007 and World Cup 2011. He may have made some quick bucks by bowling a few no-balls or giving away easy runs, but in the long run not only did it harm his reputation or BCCI’s, but damaged the image of cricket as a whole. As Justice Lodha rightly said,” No individual or franchise is bigger than the game”.
Spare a thought for someone like Rahul Dravid. He toiled hard as a player with RR, as coach or otherwise. After 16 years of international cricket without a single blot, he has to witness things like this.
What does this verdict mean for the future? For one, it is a massive step in ensuring that cricket remains clean. It is certain to send tremors across the cricketing world. If a body as powerful as BCCI can be brought to its knees, other boards will realise they are vulnerable as well. Players will now think twice before they indulge in fixing.
But one has to feel for the players in both the franchises. There are some talented players in both sides who have trained hard day in and day out, giving their all on the pitch. Players like MS Dhoni, Brendon McCullum, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Pravin Tambe have always played in the spirit of the game. With the franchises being dragged into this controversy due to a few corrupt people, they have to suffer the wrath as well, which is unfair.
Nevertheless, this is a landmark judgement from Justice Lodha: One which will go a long was in whatever is wrong with Indian cricket, off the field. Read more on IPL Verdict
(Pramod Ananth is a reporter at CricketCountry. He has represented Karnataka table tennis under-15, and is a hardcore supporter of Liverpool FC. His Twitter handle is @pramz)
