The tumult of the fixing scandal involving the IPL players just got bigger. The latest revelations of the spot fixing not only confined to this year's IPL and infecting the previous seasons too have infuriated all the cricket fans around India. It is also surmised that many players from other franchises are too involved in the business. It's just that spot fixing came in limelight; isn't it possible that entire matches might have been fixed?
Being a cricket fan, I can apprehend how each one of us will have qualms watching a cricket match from now on. Are we watching a legitimate match or just a parody? It must be acknowledged by the higher authorities that it is a good time to purge the dirt from the only secular religion of the country once and for all and reinstate the belief of its followers. The unfortunate truth is curbing the fixing trade completely is a tough row to hoe for the police. How can it be proved that a bad over from a bowler or a bad form a batsman is genuine or staged until you have evidences like phone records?
I read somewhere that an alternate way to better the situation is to legalize betting. Banning it forces it to be illegal, making it lucrative for the criminal nexuses. This further provides incentives to more illegal businesses like drugs, smuggling and even terrorism. Legalizing betting will not only generate additional tax revenues ('sin tax' as in case of cigarettes and liquors to make it more expensive for those who want to bet) for the government, it would abate criminal involvement. Moreover, it would also allow it to be properly governed.
Indian cricket is at its low. Will this opportunity be grabbed to cleanse the corruption in cricket or will it be just another page added in the books - only time will tell.
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