Fixing syndrome hits IPL young guns

Rahul Dravid has been the guiding light for Rajasthan Royals (RR) - one of the IPL franchises that has been banned for two seasons from IPL due to their owner Raj Kundra's betting habits. Dravid, who has mentored the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson at RR for the last three seasons, feels the Justice Lodha Committee judgment will be tough on the younger players who look to make the IPL the platform to make a mark at the highest level.

"Generally, in a situation like this, you will always find people at the bottom of the pyramid being the most affected.

The top players and coaches will always find stuff to do after that. It's not that difficult for some of the top players in our team to be picked by other franchises. Unfortunately, I feel disappointed for the younger players who would have otherwise got a chance to play," said the India 'A' coach Rahul Dravid here on Friday evening.

The former India skipper felt it is for the people to decide whether his association with Rajasthan Royals will be a blot on his otherwise spotless career. "People need to decide whether the actions of shareholders or owners should be linked to the coaches and mentors. It is not relevant to me alone as there are many (coaches and mentors) in different teams in the IPL. I do not want try and defend myself," Dravid said.

Was there ever a situation during any of the matches which made him sit and take notice? "If I were to doubt every single wide or every single four being hit, I think I will lose the love and interest in the game.

I do not go into any team as a coach suspecting players each time they are hit for a boundary or bowl a wide. So, unfortunately I had absolutely no clue. Again, it is very hard for mentors and coaches to be managing and knowing what people do in their private life," said the 42-year-old.

While the opinion is divided on whether the ban is too harsh, Dravid chose to go with the Lodha committee. "You have to respect their verdict.

They have lot more knowledge and understanding of the law than I do. Whether it's harsh or not is not for me to judge. It is obviously tough on the teams, it is tough on the league and on a lot of people," said Dravid. However, Dravid did admit that it is not fair to paint everyone associated with the two sides with the same brush. "I don't think everyone in Rajasthan Royals is bad. I don't think everyone in the Chennai super Kings is bad either. There are lots of very good people in both those teams, and I will leave it at that." (Times of India)