The case for an IPL holiday

The time has come for an IPL holiday. Suspend the tournament for at least one year, maybe two. The rot in the system is so deep it will take that long to clean. And the Board of Control for Cricket in India will have to show greater resolve than it has done so far.

The admission by Raj Kundra, one of the owners of Rajasthan Royals, that he bet on his team calls for a thorough investigation into the affairs of the owners of all the other franchises. To be conducting a tournament that has been so tainted while the investigations (and presumably, clean-up operations) are in progress is unfair to the stakeholders.

This is also an opportunity to get right the issues that were either ignored or dismissed as insignificant five years ago when the IPL began - an attitude that has led to the current mess.

The IPL made its debut with dodgy elements, from conflict of interest to lack of context, built into it. The BCCI ignored due diligence then, in the matter of television contracts, auctions, and team responsibilities. Many rules were made on the fly. The more powerful teams were able to steamroll their way into getting better deals, especially when it came to player replacements and retentions.

A year or two to sort out these anomalies, to tighten the rules and make them applicable across the board, to shift the focus away from the spot-fixing and betting that now seems endemic and to ensure that hereafter everything is above board, with proper penalties for transgressions in place is called for. It is also time to have clear ownership patterns, proper information regarding those in charge of the teams and the background of the companies involved in the IPL. You cannot legislate against greed, but you can make it painful to give in to temptation.

The loss of credibility might be severe enough to see the IPL collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. It is worth taking time out to bring some credibility to a tournament that generates so much money, so much excitement and such loyalty.

At the first sign of trouble, the BCCI rushes to shield its own; the demotion of Gurunath Meiyappan from CEO to 'enthusiast' is jugglery and fools no one. It merely is another sign that the Board is not as keen on exposing the shady deals as in sweeping everything under the carpet.

To believe that only three players were involved in spot-fixing is naive in the extreme; just as it is naive now to presume that only two of the owners saw in the tournament an opportunity to make money on the side by placing bets.

There has been an attempt to garner sympathy for the two alleged punters, Kundra and Meiyappan of Chennai Super Kings, because apparently each bet one crore and lost it all. This is a ridiculous argument. The outcome of the bet does not matter; the mere act of placing one is culpable. As has been argued often enough, we don't seem to understand the concept of conflict of interest. Team owners cannot bet, full stop.

At a time when quick decisions and leadership are called for, the BCCI has been merely dealing with its internal politics. Cricket is low on the list of priorities. It took four days to announce a replacement for Sanjay Jagdale, the secretary, while the replacement for Ajay Shirke, the treasurer, is yet to be revealed.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the artiste formerly known as the president of the BCCI, should resist the temptation to tread softly. The need of the hour is authority and a no-nonsense approach that will send the message to those who have brought the game into disrepute.

The BCCI will have to square things with television, sponsors and others who have invested in the IPL. It will not be easy. But no one likes to be associated with a tainted product, and if there is guarantee of a clean-up in the next few months, then a break from the tournament might be welcomed.