Season five of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been more in news for reasons off the field, than on the field.
The tournament began with reports of falling viewership, and advertisers deserting the event.
As it hurls towards its final stages, the tournament has been rocked by a sting operation an Indian news channel which suggested spot fixing might be prevalent in IPL and domestic Indian cricket.
It also pointed out that players were paid above the prescribed limits discreetly by franchisees. In short, horse trading was taking place.
This malice was first witnessed in IPL 3 when Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was suspended for a season when trying to negotiate terms with another franchise, while still being on the rolls of Rajasthan Royals.
A similar fate awaited Bangalore player Manish Pandey who missed four matches of the last season being caught out treading the same path.
This expose merely reconfirmed that this practise was rampant.
But was it only the fault of the players?
The salary limit of an uncapped player (one who has not represented India) was set by the IPL Governing Council and is non-negotiable.
How difficult would it be for players to say no to such huge offerings, when they know that duration in the IPL circles might not be that long?
Don’t we all scout the market for better paying jobs?
A hogwash
The probe ordered by the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) will turn out to be hogwash if the franchisees are not pulled up for them breaching the rules of the tournament.
The players may have been seduced by money, but remember someone was offering them in the first place; it is a two way street.
This also makes the tournament an unequal playing field; the richer franchises can have a stronger contingent of domestic players than the poorer ones.
Mentoring and monitoring young talent has to be done more diligently by guardians of the game, making players realise that the pitfalls of such actions can be the only deterrent.
Moral lecturing in today’s commercialised world might ring hollow.
IPL was conceived to work on the National Rugby League (NRL) pattern.
NRL Australia has fined four teams (more than US$165,000) for breaching the salary cap this year.
BCCI cannot be such a closed shop. A set of powerful politicians and corporates yield immense clout in the organisation.
A more transparent and professional organisation will only help in running IPL better. Coming under the purview of Right to Information Act of India (RTI) will be a good start. IPL is in a precarious situation and strong leadership from BCCI with a definitive action plan is needed to sustain and grow this version of cricket.
Editor’s Note: Since the above article was received, the Chennai Super Kings lost to Kolkata Knight Riders, with the final scorecard reading 190 (for 3) and 192 (for five).
