IPL spot-fixing: Are franchises enticing players?
While applauding BCCI's prompt action in suspending the five players who featured in the spot-fixing sting, NDTV cricket experts Sunil Gavaskar and Dean Jones said action must be taken against the IPL franchises as well for flouting the Salary Cap rules.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: May 16, 2012 02:18 PM IST
While applauding BCCI's prompt action in suspending the five players who featured in the spot-fixing sting, NDTV cricket experts Sunil Gavaskar and Dean Jones said action must be taken against the IPL franchises as well for flouting the Salary Cap rules.
"If the franchises are found breaching the Salary Cap rules, they should be put on notice, penalize them, suspend them or take off their points," Gavaskar said when asked about the black money coming into the IPL. (Top 10 developments)
Dean Jones too blamed the franchises for enticing the players into wrongdoings. "Why do these players want to move? Because the franchises are prepared to pay extra money under the table. The franchises are enticing the players to break the contracts. (Watch)
He also said: "The Income Tax authorities, the government should be right on these guys now - the players and the franchises. If they are found trying to break salary Cap rules, their points, money everything should be taken off."
However, BCCI president N Srinivasan refused to believe that the team owners may have some involvement in the spot-fixing as the Twenty20 league is under-scanner. Speaking to a TV channel, Srinivasan said: "All the franchisees are people of stature behind it. It will be wrong to presume they are doing something wrong and then make enquiries. If something comes to light it is different. All the franchisees are reputable people & I have respect for them." (Read full story here)
Srinivisan said the sting operation may have given some idea but may be it is restricted to just a few people.
"I don't think this operation can reflect what is going across the board. I can't deny what has happened because the evidence is there as what was shown yesterday. But at the same time it is a case of few individuals so I don't want to generalise on this," he said.
"I believe it will be a case of few individual players maybe out of greed or whatever taking wrong steps. I am not prepared to take a brush & paint the whole thing or say that this is rampant or anything like that."
He also said that the BCCI will enquire, as claimed in the sting operation by some players that some people are being paid more than their contract fee.
Pending the report of that inquiry, to be submitted in 15 days, the five players - Amit Yadav (Kings XI Punjab), Mohnish Mishra (Pune Warriors India), Abhinav Bali (played for Delhi Giants in the erstwhile Indian Cricket League), TP Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers) and Shalabh Srivastava (Kings XI Punjab) - will remain suspended from all forms of cricket, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said. (Read full story here)
Among the suspended is TP Sudhindra of the Deccan Chargers who is seen on camera allegedly accepting bribes before a domestic match. Although there is no proof that the 28-year-old pacer from Madhya Pradesh has taken money during the course of the IPL, on camera he is seen asking for Rs. 40,000 to bowl a no-ball during an Indore T20 League match. The player, who took 40 wickets for his state in the 2011-12 season, did bowl a huge no-ball off the second delivery of his first over in that match.
Among players purportedly talking on tape about being paid by IPL franchises in black, is Mohnish Mishra of the Sahara Pune Warriors, who accepted the statements he made during the sting operation conducted by a TV channel and said he did it casually "to develop his value". (Read full story here)
"I sincerely apologise for the embarrassment caused to Sahara due to such frivolous and incorrect statements. I have not received any amount in cash from Sahara," the player said in his apology letter to the Sahara Group.
Sahara said Mishra made the comments "to develop his value or maybe he wanted to be pompous in front of others during the course of discussion", and that he has not received any amount in cash from Sahara.
Kings XI fast bowler Shalabh Srivastav, purportedly on tape demanding Rs. 10 lakh to bowl a deliberate no-ball during an IPL game, says he is innocent and that the audio tape is doctored. "I fail to understand whatever is being said about spot-fixing. Also if they (a TV channel) are showing all the video clips, why aren't they showing the clip where I allegedly am demanding Rs. 10 lakh? The voice in that telephonic conversation is not mine. It is very easy to frame anyone with a doctored audio clip," he had said.
India TV says it stands by its operation, which it says was conducted over a year. Chief Editor of the channel Rajat Sharma said the objective was to lift the cover from illegal operations. He said he did not believe any big players were involved.
(With PTI inputs)
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