adminOfficials announced an ambitious 12-point plan on Monday aimed at ridding the multi-billion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament of illegal betting and spot-fixing scandals that have engulfed the game.
Jamming phone towers to stop calls to bookmakers were among actions flagged by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), along with a strict player code of conduct and a ban on their attendance at after-match parties, as part of “Operation Clean-up”.
Although some of the measures planned for future editions of the Twenty20 tournament were applauded by commentators, others were described as irrelevant or difficult to enforce.
“Having cheerleaders on a makeshift podium during the game or banning players from attending after-match parties is hardly the cause of the IPL’s problems,” analyst Prem Panicker said.
Another measure says IPL franchises need to disclose details of their players’ and support staffs’ contractual obligations and remunerations — to try to avoid any conflicts of interest.
“These are easily achieved objectives and the board should have been doing this from the start,” Panicker said.
But Panicker was among those sceptical of whether India’s authorities would support the BCCI’s idea to disrupt mobile phone signals at grounds during matches to curb betting and fixing.
“This will not only affect the fans but also those who live around the stadium. Such steps require the approval of telecom companies, multiple security agencies and the government (also) has to be on board,” he said.
Three cricketers, including Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, and scores of bookmakers were arrested last month as part of the ongoing police probes.
The players from the Rajasthan Royals team are accused of giving away runs in specific overs in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars, after making deals with bookies before the match.
With the exception of Sri Lanka, betting is illegal in the cricket-playing nations of South Asia but backstreet bookmakers abound, accepting bets for everything from the outcome of matches to the runs scored each over and extras.
The co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, businessman Raj Kundra, was suspended by the BCCI on Monday pending a inquiry, after he admitted illegally betting on his own team, according to police. — AFP.
Online Reporter