IPL has harmed the reputation of Indian cricket like nothing else

Tags: IPL

Published on: Nov 16, 2014

The Mudgal Committee Report is yet to be made public, but there are already reports out in the media that the muck is actually much deeper than earlier thought

The Mudgal Committee Report is yet to be made public, but there are already reports out in the media that the muck is actually much deeper than earlier thought. As it is cricket has been haunted by the ghost of match-fixing since 2000, and the advent on the IPL and the unending controversies related to it have only made matters worse. Ever since the time Sreesanth and a few others were caught for their alleged role in spot-fixing last year, the controversy around the league has refused to stop. And, if the hints from the media reports are anything to go by, there are shocking sensations in store for cricket fans.

It might not sound commercially viable for the BCCI, but the time really has come to put an end to the controversies surrounding the IPL once and for all, and that can only be done by getting rid of the tournament completely. The tournament may have gathered a decent amount of fan following over the years, but the earth wouldn't fall if the IPL comes to an end. After all, the T20 league mostly produces mediocre cricket, and mostly meaningless encounters. The two months lost in playing IPL can actually be utilised for some real competitive action, and those could be T20 matches as well.

If you look back at the history of the IPL, you would realise that the tournament has produced more controversy than memorable cricket. 2013 was not the first time that spot-fixing raised its ugly head in the IPL. Earlier, little known players like Monish Mishra, Shalabh Srivastav among others were suspended for their alleged involvement with corrupt activities, while the promising Siddharth Trivedi was suspended for not reporting approach by bookies. Then of course there was the 2013 scandal that broke all myths about the IPL being a clean game. The tournament has lost massive credibility since then.

Spot fixing is not the only issue worrying cricket. There has been so much uncertainty about the teams as well. Kochi Tuskers and Pune Warriors came and went under controversial circumstances, and the same happened with Deccan Chargers as well. To the common man, there seemed to be no transparency at all in the manner in which they were earlier selected and then discarded. Something similar could have happened to Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals as well, but they knocked on the doors of the court and got a stay on their suspension. Wonder what would have happened to the IPL otherwise.

Ever since last year's scandal broke out, there have been talks that Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan, two of the top teams in the league could be barred. The names of Srinivasan and Gurunath Meiyappan have been doing the rounds, and they are allegedly being investigated in the spot-fixing. Even Indian skipper MS Dhoni is in a conflict of interest case, and some reports actually suggest that he may be tried for perjury. With so much wrong about the league, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the IPL has done more harm to Indian cricket than anything else. Why carry on with it then?

--By A Cricket Analyst

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