Grumble with Gaurav | Gaurav Kalra
It is when all is crumbling around us that we seek shelter in solidity. Integrity is reassuring when scoundrels who previously masqueraded as pioneers are exposed. Like an onion peel, as layer after layer of muck is uncovered and we learn how our great game has been pillaged by craven monsters, where do we turn? Not in the immoral righteousness of the men in Parliament, embroiled in multiple scandals themselves, demanding a 'clean-up'. Not in the shallow populism of a sports minister who is currently overseeing an impeding disaster that is the Commonwealth Games, yet chooses to trade his guns at cricket for the sake of his few seconds in the limelight.
We turn instead to the men who transcend the muck. Those who much like many of us understand little of share-holding and benami accounts, of digital rights and slush funds. Those who know how to caress a cricket ball between fielders, those who with a slight of hand can make the ball spin across the face of a bat, those who can defy gravity and catch one while parallel to the ground. Yes, the players; those men with skill and ability that we learnt to admire before there were cheer-girls and sweat equities. And we will continue to appreciate much after they are gone. In an inquest we must guard most stoutly against loose accusations of the kind that are floating at the moment. Continue reading below
That the IPL is murky is now established beyond doubt. But does that indict our most celebrated possessions is the question? I hear troubling, yet unsubstantiated stories of "match-fixing". "27 players", claims a mysterious IT report, "Are being suspected of fixing during IPL-2 in South Africa last season". In an instance of particularly shoddy journalism, I noticed a news channel run a story questioning specific games where the result was allegedly "suspicious". One of those "questionable" games was Kings XI Punjab vs. Kolkata Knight Riders where riding on a Jayawardene century, Kings XI pulled off a stunning run-chase to overcome a target of 200 plus. The argument was the odds being offered before the game were loaded in favour of the Knight Riders. Hence, there was something fishy in the Kings XI win. Could it just be that an exceptional player (Jayawardene) played an exceptional innings on the day? Hmm, but where is the sinister angle in that? Instead, they ended up brandishing an accusation that distastefully suggests upright men such as Sourav Ganguly and Kumar Sangakkara enjoyed pay-offs to produce the result.
And there in lies the central point of this debate. Just as to "fix" bids and manage dirty money, you need seedy operators, to fix cricket matches you need to corrupt cricketers. So every time we go on Television claiming matches were fixed we must be prepared to back that claim up with clinching evidence. Or else shut up. Mere accusations may produce sexy television or fancy headlines, but it also sows the seed of doubt in the minds of fans and supporters, whose faith in their heroes must not be shaken on mere hearsay. We will do well to remember that when the scourge of match-fixing threatened to rip our game apart a decade ago, it was a generation of truly great men who saved us. Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Kumble and Laxman weren't merely exceptional cricketers. Their honesty and devotion to the India cap restored shattered belief. Today, under their watch will they allow a game of cricket to be "managed" by dirt bags?
I heard a comical argument that the strategic time out has been designed by Lalit Modi to allow the betting mafia to get a chance to speak to their "contacts" with mobile phones in team dug-outs to plan the rest of the game. So imagine this. Seated next to Anil Kumble is one of these scums in the Bangalore dug-out. Kumble maintains a stoic silence as this man gets instructions on what must happen next. Will Kumble allow himself to be compromised in this manner? A participant in another debate argued that the IPL is akin to WWE, where the action is stage-managed. Really, so Mr. Know it all, is Tendulkar the Khali of this show? When he cover drives, it has been ordained so by Mr Modi's henchmen? The fertile brain that conjures such balderdash is better served in a second rate Bollywood production.
Another argument was made about the post-match parties where bookies can allegedly mingle with the players and ultimately influence their performance. While the parties are a disgrace, may I ask if the cricketer who allows that to happen, if indeed he does, is blameless? If he willingly allows his integrity to be compromised, then must the bookie that makes the attempt be held responsible? Crass as it may sound, the bookie is merely doing his job! While finding a cricketer in a state of inebriation in the arms of a scantily clad woman may trouble some, it is in no way reflective of his attitude to a cricket match. Some of the best of our time have savoured the allures of the game-- Imran, Botham, Sobers. But when on the field were they ever lesser players? TV studios and debates allow hypothesis ranging from the logical to the bizarre. But those who imply such hideous motives must be forced to produce evidence. Conjecture isn't a mere sound-byte, it can make the vulnerable question institutions.
I for one believe that the natural instinct of a sportsman is to do all in his power to win. It is perhaps naive to expect no player to have ever been corrupted. But professional sportsmen train for victory. Their mind is conditioned to battle for that extra inch which will take them past the finish line. Hours are spent in lonely gymnasiums to get that fractional advantage which will make the difference between winning and losing. Dropping a catch on purpose is much harder than taking it cleanly. Because hours are spent perfecting the art of taking a catch; till it becomes second nature. So when Kamran Akmal was accused of dropping a few behind the stumps in Sydney intentionally, I wondered if anyone paused to understand the nature of the accusation. In that fraction of a second when the ball flew of the inner edge of Hussey's bat, Kamran decided that he had to let it slip out of his gloves. So he made a "considered error". But how do trained hands, adept at pouching the ball, decide on purpose to quell that instinct? And instead focus on the pay-out that will appear allegedly in his bank account. It is a fundamentally flawed argument that fails to grasp a sportsman's training.
Yes, in the face of the skeletons the most optimistic among us have also been forced to reconsider our positions. Perhaps, we didn't question enough. Perhaps we all stand guilty as charged of jumping aboard the IPL gravy train? Perhaps we failed as journalists to discover the underbelly of this massive scam. But among all the stench, our hope forever remains invested in the custodians of our game. The players who are held in reverence for their skill and also their integrity. I remain convinced even today that there still are, a few good men....
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