Cricket and Corruption

    Indian are crazy for the game of Cricket, whether Indian cricket team play in India or any part of the globe they back up their team with huge presence in the stadium plus more then many folds glue to the television sets until the finish of game. That is why companies in the environment of stiff competition use this opportunity to promote their products, so cricket game in India becomes money spinner to everybody which associates with the game like broadcaster, BCCI, Players and they get very high level of hospitalities, Perhaps watching the money in the game of cricket earn by cricketers not only from game but also becoming brand ambassador’s of some companies, kids wants to become cricketers and earn name and money for themselves.
   1984 was the year, India won the world cup of cricket, held in England, under the captaincy of Kapil Dev, but India’s poor past record in the cricket’s One day format, before the start of world cup, cricket world cup not get much attention of the Indians, but with the progress of the tournament and India’s out of the skin performance attracts Indians, and during the tournament India beat one of the invincible team of that time West Indies and after the end of tournament Indian lift the world cup and surprise everybody with their performance and they prove the dark horse team of the tournament, then game of cricket become passion among Indians, whether Indian cricket team perform up to their potential or lose, everything related to game covered by media with hype and after the gap of half a decade, India lift the world cup, game of cricket crosses all the limits and left behind every sports as far popularity of the game is concern and become without any doubt unofficial sport of India.
   Cricket becomes magnet for bad elements also and they found cricket to earn hefty money in a jiffy, and they become part of cricket indirectly through nexus with set of cricketers of a team and then started fixing the matches. Suddenly words like betting, match fixing, bookies, punters jumps in the air with the game of cricket and now they are part and parcel of the cricket. Cricket was famous for synonymous name of gentleman game suddenly greediness of cricketers gave bad name to the cricket. It is not that every cricketer of the world is involved in match fixing but very few names taint the cricket. Till date names drags in the controversies of unfair side of the game are -

• Hansie Cronje South Africa
• Saleem Malik (Pakistan)
• Mohammed Azharuddin India
• Ajay Jadeja (India).
• Herschelle Gibbs South Africa
• Nicky Boje South Africa
• Mark Waugh Australia
• Shane Warne Australia

as it was not enough fingers started raising towards administrators also. BCCI backed Indian Premier League (IPL) which launched in the year 2008 when its first edition was played among eight teams –

• Mumbai Indians
• Royal Challengers Bangalore
• Deccan Chargers
• Chennai Super Kings
• Delhi Daredevils
• Kings XI Punjab
• Kolkata Knight Riders
• Rajasthan Royals

which was decorated with best players of cricket playing nations of the world, after franchises bid for them, actually whole concept was based on EPL of football, and in its first season it break all the records of popularity and just this year its third edition was held, as per reports it is second most game of the world money wise, but before it ends lot of administrators, franchisees engulf in the controversy, simultaneously games and controversy move ahead having hands in hands. Names like IPL Chairman and C.E.O. Mr. Lalit Modi, Shashi Tharoor, Praful Patel and Sharad Pawar on daily basis they become part of media’s new revelation, in between of season three of IPL Tharoor resigns and at the end of season three of IPL Mr. Lalit Modi sacked from Chairman and C.E.O. post of IPL, but still till date new controversies are keep on hitting and becoming headlines of media.
    It makes confuse and surprise Indian that what makes cricket so much popular among Indians despite it carries with it so much controversies. Money involve in the game, or game of cricket or life style of the cricketers.