Like a jack-in-the-box that bobs up every time someone opens the lid, cricket controversies keep rearing their head. Two voices from within the game have raised issues now that don’t carry much conviction. While cricket must act strenuously to restore its image, it simply cannot chase every shadow thrown by a disgruntled player like Vinod Kambli or a policeman such as Paul Condon who during his tenure was unable to get a single player prosecuted.
The Delhi police has a live lead in the aftermath of the jailing of three Pakistani cricketers and their agent under strict British laws. To pursue the 11-year-old Hansie Cronje case to its bitter end by getting hold of London-based Indian bookie Sanjeev Chawla, based on evidence given by the convicted Mazhar Majeed, should be the clear objective of a police force that made the breakthrough in the match-fixing scandal.
Cricket administrators cannot by law employ subterfuge like sting operations to entrap players, but they must be seen to be much more proactive in protecting both players and match officials from perfidious elements that defile the spirit of the game. The Pakistani board too has got an anti-corruption and security unit to police its players, but the BCCI is yet to act.
The spot-fixing scandal that led to convictions in Britain has once again thrown light on the extent of the challenge cricket faces. However, maverick figures voicing opinions on past matches should be ignored unless they have real evidence to back their claims.