It’s time to introspect when a cricketer of impeccable integrity speaks up about the game’s ills. Rahul Dravid is not just a batsman who has scored over 10,000 runs each in two different formats of the game. He is also reputedly among the few Indian cricketers with unimpeachable character when it comes to matters like player-bookie links in spot-fixing and match-fixing. Dravid may be stating the obvious when he declares the game’s credibility should override personal interests and power struggles. But his words have more import in a situation where the BCCI president’s son-in-law is seen involved in betting, so is the co-owner of another team.
The Indian cricket board’s habit of exonerating itself after polite internal enquiries has led to it being labelled the “Board of Clean Chits in India”. At no time in the current crisis enveloping IPL Season 6 did the board show any inclination to accept the challenge of doing a thorough cleanup. Its narrow agenda appears to be to seek legal remedies. While natural justice does allow it that right, it must be remembered that the BCCI has done nothing to secure the game from predatory elements.
The Supreme Court, which refused to stay the Bombay high court order but will nevertheless hear the board’s plea, is in a position to compel the BCCI to clean up its act. It should review all issues, such as the conflicts of interest that mostly led to this imbroglio, rather than simply examine the legality of the latest probe panel.