ICC should act swiftly to eradicate match fixing menace

The reaction has been spontaneous - and predictable. Wherever one goes, there is only one topic for discussion. In clubs, offices, homes and on the streets, the only talking point among people is the match fixing story - never mind if some of them wouldn't know the difference between a square cut or a cover drive.

Perhaps match fixing is not a new phenomenon. It does go back a few years at least. But this is the first time names have come out into the open. In the past, the vague charge was that a teammate offered a player a sum of money to bat or bowl badly, or the allegation was that leading players were approached by a bookie to throw away a match. At best there were strong suspicions - fueled by statements from irresponsible cricketers with vested interests - that a certain game was thrown. But when names are thrown about openly, then the disclosure is nothing short of sensational.

In India, the initial reaction is one of shock mingled with anger and disgust. That the whole episode was seemingly enacted in this country, that it involved a series concerning India, and that the names associated with the match fixing scam are some of the best known international cricketers, including the South African captain, is something that transcends all other similar charges made over the years. At the moment no Indian player has been named but then these are early days yet.

Predictably enough, the reaction from South Africa has been one of anger and disbelief. Besides denying the charges outright and rising to their captain's defence, the authorities are now tackling the issue at Government level. If there is no early and amicable solution, if the situation gets out of hand or is handled in a clumsy manner, the match fixing episode could jeopardize the friendly relations between the two governments and the two cricket boards.

Which is why a solution has to be found soon. The Delhi police having unearthed the scam on a tip off is now on the move, have sent teams to Kochi, Bangalore and Mumbai either to make arrests, seize documents crucial to the case or just follow up on any lead. Also vital to the case are any clues that may be provided by Rajesh Kalra, allegedly a Delhi based bookie who has been arrested, former film actor Krishan Kumar, who is said to be involved in the scam and Sanjiv Chawla, another bookie who is said to be in London. An appeal has been sent to Interpol, through the CBI, to help in Chawla's extradition from Britain. Chawla in the meantime has claimed he is 100 percent innocent.

It is just as well that the Delhi police are doing all they can to follow up on the lead. For there is little doubt that the bombshell dropped by them could well backfire if they fail to build a foolproof case. Tape recorded evidence by itself may not hold in a court of law. Moreover the snatches of conversation leave some pretty important questions unanswered. There is no precise mention of dates or locations where the phone was tapped. The figures spoken of in the conversation are just figures and one cannot easily fathom what they mean or what the currency is. There is no guarantee as yet that the voice is that of Hansie Cronje and the South Africans are convinced that it is not. And the result of the Faridabad match does contradict portions of the transcript.

However it must be said that the existing evidence is also pretty damaging in a way and has put Cronje and his four teammates in a bit of a spot. Over the next few days, more evidence is bound to be unearthed and these widening ripples could put them as well as the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) much more on the defensive. The Delhi police, having sparked off a sensational revelation, will obviously do everything in its power to unravel any loose ends and make out a foolproof case.

But for the match fixing scam to lead to its natural culmination, to bring those found guilty to book, the police need all the help from the cricket authorities. The UCBSA, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) should be most co-operative in this matter, irrespective of who is involved. For the UCBSA, dealing with match fixing may be a novel thing. After all, this is the first time their players have been named in a controversy such as this. The BCCI has already dealt with the issue in the past. Following the allegations made by former Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar a few years ago, the one man commission of enquiry, Justice Chandrachud, delved deep into the matter but came up with nothing except to conclude that no Indian cricketer was involved in match fixing. The ICC also formed a committee a couple of years ago, following allegations by Shane Warne and Mark Waugh that they were approached by an Indian bookie to give routine information on the eve of a Test match. But even this committee has done nothing specific about the matter, even though the ICC is no doubt aware that something is wrong somewhere.

The latest revelations however should wake the ICC from its slumber. The president Jagmohan Dalmiya has said that the ICC will act if needed. Their intervention is certainly needed at this juncture. This latest episode should force the cricket establishment to deal with this menace, which is assuming the proportions of a cancerous growth. The ICC is keen to globalise the game and is spending a lot of money towards that objective. It is time it spent its time, money and energy towards solving the match fixing controversy once and for all. The latest episode proves that things have already gone out of hand and if the ICC does not act swiftly, it could soon be dealing with a global scandal.