Can’t stop fixing totally, greed has no cure: Gavaskar

New Delhi, September 23

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels it is difficult to completely get rid of match-fixing in cricket as there will always be an odd person swayed by greed, which cannot be cured. 

Gavaskar’s comments came in the wake of accusations that players and officials of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) have been involved in match-fixing. An investigation is currently underway in the matter.

“Greed is a thing which no amount of education, guidance, seminars with anti-corruption guys is going to help. Greed is something that is human,” Gavaskar said at an event in Bengaluru.

“The best of societies, the most developed of societies still have criminals. In cricket also you will always have the odd person who will be swayed by greed. It could be some other reason that might force him to do something. That’s something I don’t think you can totally control,” he added.

The batting legend, however, asserted that it is no longer possible for the wrongdoers to get away with it. “I would imagine sometimes the circumstances make a player think ‘I can get away with it’… But you can’t get away because it is so covered by television, every little aspect... You will be exposed as having done something wrong,” he said. The former right-hander, nonetheless, backed domestic leagues such as the TNPL, saying they do throw up fresh talent. — PTI

Bairstow out of Test squad for NZ tour 

London: England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow has been left out of the squad for the two-Test series in New Zealand but included in the T20I squad for the tour that begins in November. The 29-year-old Bairstow scored 214 runs in this year’s drawn Ashes series, averaging just below 24 in the five Tests, with only one half-century to his name in 10 innings. Jos Buttler is expected to keep wicket while Ollie Pope, who last played a Test in August 2018, is set for a back-up role. Jason Roy, who struggled during the Ashes with 110 runs in eight innings, was not named in either squad, while all-rounder Ben Stokes, Buttler, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes will sit out the T20 series. Eoin Morgan will return to take up the captaincy for the T20 matches as England step up their preparations for the World T20 in October next year. England begin the New Zealand tour with the first of five T20 matches to be played on November 1, followed by two Tests that begin on Nov 21 and November 29, respectively. — Reuters