Beyond a doubt, Cricket has become most corrupted in subcontinent over the years. Al Jazeera Documentaries, The International Cricket Council’s investigations and emnesty in Sri Lanka and Return Of Thilanga Sumathipala, the former notorious president of Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) through a back door proves that it has become a cancer for Asian Cricket. That’s why, the law of prevention of Match fixing is the need of hour for only for Sri Lanka, but for all cricket playing Asian countries.
Thilanga Sumathipala couldn’t contest recently concluded SLC election, due to his involvement in his family betting business through an outlet named Sporting Star! The ICC is about to bring a mandate that says that any person, who is directly or indirectly involved in gambling and betting business, can’t contest for Cricket elections.
But, as it is a norm in subcontinent that there are plenty of loopholes in every law and guideline, Sumathipala did the same.
He picked some of his close associates, who themselves are notorious in frauds, match fixing things and financial irregularities, and won the election and slapped hard on ICC’s face.
Now, Sumathipala has again become the Messiah of Sri Lanka Cricket. He is laughing! And the ICC has become a joker! A laughing stock!
In another episode, The most powerful BCCI is being ruled by a Supreme Court appointed committee of administrators since last two years. Though they are reputed people’s, but don’t know lot of things about cricket! In this scenario, the Indian cricket has tainted badly in recent times, as Al Jazeera has exposed many fixers, who are running the show, not only in India, but at global level.
In Pakistan, the situation is worse! After the advent of PSL, as many as a dozen of players have been banned for their involvement in match fixing and other corruption activities!
The reason is quite simple : there is no law in Asian countries, by that the authorities can tied down the culprits. Their is no law to punish them, no law to at least catch them!
In Sri Lanka, SLC talks big about the prevention of the corruption and match fixing. From the back door, they have brought back those culprits in the system, who tarnished the country’s name, and even have provided them jobs again! BCCI, on the other hand, don’t even ready to talk about this, as they knows, without a law, there is no logic to make big statements. The notorious Gupta, who rocked entire cricket world with his connection with high profiles of cricket, is roaming Scot free, just because there is no law to catch culprits like him!
“Sports at a grassroots level needs to be safe, it needs to be fair, it needs to be honest, respectful and have integrity. Without these things cricket can lose its relevance and meaning. We need to safeguard the sports in Asia. That’s why it has become essential for every Cricket playing nation to clean up the sports mafia by bringing anti curraption laws for the game” a top ICC official told Cricket Age.
That’s why, the Asian countries needs law of prevention of match fixing as first priority. Then only, the game of cricket will become free of corruption and match fixing. Till then, the people’s like Sumathipala will keep making ICC a laughing stock!
