Sri Lanka Cricket must guard against the dreaded match-fixing

The sordid spot-fixing that took place during the Indian Premier League now on in India, should serve as an eye opener to Sri Lanka Cricket when they conduct the Sri Lanka Premier League Twenty20 here, from August 10 to 31.With the International Cricket Council and all cricket playing

countries tightening up the laws to deter players from indulging in the ugly game, it was thought that it was the end of match-fixing or spot-fixing.

But that does not seem to be so after three Rajasthan Royal players – Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were bagged by the Delhi Police for spot-fixing. To the credit of the Police investigators it must be said they did a fearless and admirable job.

Of the three culprits, it was shocking to think that Sreesanth could also have rolled himself in the mud. He was one of India’s finest fast bowlers and was earning big money playing for Rajasthan Royals.

But apparently the big money offered by the unscrupulous bookies was too great a temptation to resist and the greed for more money has made him lose respect and he has shamed the game that made him a hero and lost his honour and dignity and also his family.

Must be avoided like the plague

The threesome must be avoided like the plague and in addition to being banned for life from the game must also be jailed and fined which will serve as a deterrent to others from ever even thinking of indulging in match-fixing.

With bookies offering mind-boggling sums of money the temptation will always be there and the bookies who are always from the underworld will find ways and means to break through the barriers and endeavor to lure players.

So Sri Lanka Cricket will have to have a watertight defense in place when they conduct the SLPL and leave no room for the bookies to breach. From what we can gather the SLC officials are leaving no stone unturned to see that any fixing will take place.

Sri Lanka Cricket, will during the tournament have officials from the ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit involved during the tournament in addition to the local anti corruption officials who will constantly monitor the progress.

At the time of writing, there is a bit of uncertainty and the SLC officials are worried because the local SLPL is clashing with the Caribbean PL. SLC has been in constant touch with their Caribbean counterparts hoping to hammer out a solution.

What’s happening to schools’ rugby?

In recent times it has been disturbing to note the ugly scenes taking place especially in inter-school matches where referees are assaulted and players going for each other with young old boys too joining in to cause mayhem.

In the recent past school rugby was played clean, with no untoward incidents with the players and the spectators enjoying the rugby that was dished out and at the end of the game supporters cheering the side that played best and won the game.

But in recent times the beating up of referees and players fighting each other leaving some of them badly injured has caused great worry among the school heads and parents.

In a recent school match one team refused to take the field during the closing stages because some of their players had to be hospitalized, suffering serious injuries during play.

Eye-gouging is a crime

But what has really shaken the schools rugby scene is the eye-gouging that had apparently taken place in a school match. From the inception of this particular inter-school match, there have been ugly incidents taking place, but not as bad as eye-gouging.

Now this is a very serious incident, because indications are that this particular player could lose his eye sight. It is time that the authorities that matter moved in and called a halt to this style of criminality taking place in the game.

As for the assaulting of referees, it is said that the referees who blow are incompetent and don’t have the guts to blow up an infringing player and punish him. Referees also, it is said fear reprisals.

Whatever, it is high time that those who matter get down to nipping the brewing early trouble in the bud and not let it get of hand. The players, referees and the spectators must be told to keep the game clean because the game’s the thing.

Craddock and Conn respected writers

Australian opening batsman and probably captain in waiting David Warner blew his top it looks like by taking on two of the most respected cricket writers in Australia Malcom Conn and Robert Craddock and skinning them on Twitter for criticizing the IPL.

Conn and Craddock are two of the most respected and widely read

cricket writers in Australia. They felt that the Indian Premier League needed criticizing and they had the right and guts to write their thoughts in their respective newspapers.

But Warner who is featuring and fattening on the big money he is earning playing for Delhi Daredevils let fly and skinned Craddock and Conn on Twitter. We wonder what prompted Warner to act silly when nothing was said about his batting which has been poor by his standard and the money he is earning.

Reported for ‘unbecoming behavior’

But Cricket Australia has quickly moved in the matter and reported the batsman for ‘unbecoming behaviour ’. The dashing left hander is alleged to have breached Rule 6 which states: Players and officials must not at any time engage in behavior unbecoming to a representative player or official that could (a) bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute (b) be harmful to interests of cricket’.

Apparently Warner would have had an axe to grind against Craddock and Conn. Otherwise there were no other reasons for Warner to act in the most irresponsible and hammer his own countrymen who are respected and fearless journalists. Warner has since been fined.

England thrash New Zealand

Led by the brilliant seam and swing bowling by James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England hammered the daylights out of New Zealand in the First of Two Tests at Lord’s to register an easy run victory.

While Anderson took 5 wickets in the first innings and also became the fourth England bowler to capture 300 wickets, it was Broad who always sports a broad grin who stuffed the Kiwis in the second innings with 7 for 44 off 11 overs.It was high class swing bowling and the Kiwi batmen looked sad sights because none of their batsmen seemed competent to play the wobbling bowl and gifted their wickets in meek surrender.

Set 239 to win, New Zealand shamelessly collapsed for believe it or not 68 to give England a comfortable victory by 170 runs. It was all over in less than 23 overs with Broad grabbing the man of the match award.

With England due to defend the Ashes against Australia in the next couple of months, this victory should give them all the confidence to again punch the Australians who will be determined to regain the prestigious Ashes.

But minus marks to England for their listless batting on the first day. Batsmen Alastair Cook, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell were poking and playing pat ball cricket, that it even angered their TV Commentators who had unkind words to say about their batting.

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