Karnataka cricket fixing

Something is rotten in the nether lands of cricket in India, where zonal T20 leagues such as the ones in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu prosper. These leagues attract parasitical elements such as bookies, the main corruptors of cricketers. The arrest of two more cricketers for alleged match-fixing in the Karnataka Premier League shows that fixers have become a fixture in even the lower-rung, less-watched leagues. The most worrying fact is that the two arrested players — CM Gautam and Abrar Kazi — have figured in the IPL in the past. Gautam, in fact, was one of the key players of the strong Karnataka team that won the Ranji Trophy two years in a row. Just across the border from Karnataka, there are reports of ‘rampant corruption’ in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, which is presently under investigation.

The news of the arrests in Karnataka comes closely on the heels of the two-year ban on Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh captain, for not reporting being approached by a bookie for fixing. It’s possible that Shakib — who does not lack money or fame — got tempted because of the promise of huge sums of money. The amount of money allegedly paid to Gautam and Kazi — Rs 20 lakh each — is relatively small, but not insignificant. You may not have heard of most of the players who figure in these leagues, but these tournaments are televised; thus, even if they have only modest viewership, they do come to the attention of bettors and bookies. It’s but a small step to turn from a bookie to a corruptor of a cricketer.

Among the several people arrested in Karnataka is a team-owner. A former cricketer who was a team-owner in the Tamil Nadu league committed suicide in August, allegedly due to a ‘financial strain’. A large number of players have reported being approached for corruption in Tamil Nadu. Clearly, the rot has set in. The Indian cricket board must urgently review all T20 leagues in the country, closely examining their ownership patterns and revenue models. Fixers must be kicked out of sport.