Playing it his way: Sachin Tendulkar's "exorcism" of the match-fixing spectre
Before entering another dark, albeit brief, phase in their history, Indian cricket was rocked by the dirtiest of all ills to have plagued mankind – greed. Although the appropriate term used was match-fixing, it reeked of the vice that has not only affected the common man, but also ended the careers of those who were once glorified, worshipped as deities of the sport. For much of the fag end of the nineties, the entire cricketing fraternity was beset by revelations that many of their brethren had frittered away chances of winning games for money – I won’t go into too much detail on that since it is pretty much on public record.
What I will expound upon, however, is the surprising revelation of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar about how he took steps to ensure that such tainted players would never be able to represent the nation at the highest level of the game ever again. The reticence he showed years ago seems to have given way after more than a decade; it is something his detractors are extremely keen to raise each time the subject is broached. Spare him the brickbats – he’s happily retired, and like any other human, has things he needs to get off his chest.
In the vicious thunderstorm created by explosive revelations beginning from Cronjegate and the subsequent retributions doled out by the authorities, one little tenet was missed out – the Master Blaster was never credited for his role. Instead, as is widely known, he was hauled over the coals by a section of the then-rabid media for his silence; perhaps this was his chance to set the record straight.
Vendetta was never on his mind
Circa 1997 – the Independence Cup was around the corner. India had just come off a tough tour of the West Indies, having lost both the Tests and the ODIs. Azharuddin, the former skipper, playing in the side as the senior most batsman, hadn’t done enough to merit a place in the squad for the upcoming series. Also, the energetic young Jadeja, who had completely demolished one of the world’s premier bowlers in the World Cup held a year earlier, had blown hot & cold in the Caribbean as well.
As captain, Sachin had extremely high expectations from his side, especially from the aforementioned duo, but their cavalier & indifferent attitude in crunch situations, and similar behaviour shown by the wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia and another willow wielder (purported to be Robin Singh) rankled him badly; the nightmarish overseas tour was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
Never one to make his reactions public, the Mumbai lad and the then-coach conferred with the BCCI behind the scenes, suggesting that the senior guy be dropped from the team. Fearing a drop in the number of cricket-crazy spectators at future games, the Board quickly accepted the proposition made. Supporters of the India discard made their displeasure known, voicing their harsh criticism of the captain.
Three years later, when the entire scandal broke, Sachin would have felt vindicated after the tainted figures received bans from the game. At no point during his handling of the situation did he ever pursue a personal vendetta against the veteran batsman (who has since gone on to join politics). He wasn’t exactly enjoying captaincy too much by this time, so the accusations of plotting to keep another illustrious peer out of the side in a bid to remain in charge do not hold water. It is a sacrifice, of a sort, he has had to make, for the greater good – at least this move never reeked of selfishness. Yet, all he was left with was wild allegations, baseless barbs and jibes – and those must have really hurt, which is evident in his autobiography.
The “honourable” way out for the tainted ones
Despite whichever perspective one chooses to look at the topic, the efforts made by Sachin and a few other senior members in the team were not instantaneous – they were undertaken after a lot of thought. These guys have been raised in a value system that prizes determination, selflessness, sportsmanship and honesty above all. They don’t care much for making controversial public statements, simply because they are too dignified to do so.
The decision to keep those players (whose reputations were soiled by the sordid match-fixing saga) out of the squad, and eventually resulting in the end of their careers, is as much a result of the Little Master‘s thought processes as the sting operation carried out by a private channel. Yet, in the best interests of a side struggling to emerge from the darkness of greed, allegations & counter-allegations, he and his group preferred to keep their moves out of the public eye. In such a case, perhaps dropping them was the “honourable” way out.
Although I doubt the veracity of the facts alleged by the participant (the late BCCI Secretary Jaywant Lele) shown in the video of the sting operation, one aspect vividly stands out: Sachin, having (allegedly) received word from Anshuman Gaekwad (then the national coach) that the aforementioned players were going to under-perform in the final of the 1998 Singer Series against Sri Lanka, nullified their hopes by putting on a record 252-run opening stand with Sourav Ganguly; their combined effort, bolstered by a fierce four-wicket haul from Ajit Agarkar, saw India lift the trophy.
This was typical Tendulkar – quiet in public, but with a no-nonsense demeanour when it came to on-field performances. Does this not speak volumes of the value system he’s been steeped in? Would one still consider him to put personal interests before those of the team or the nation, despite increasing evidence of under-performing players? In today’s age, how many 25-year-olds would let their bat or ball do the talking while delivering a fitting reply to external influences? And last but not the least – how many of them have single-handedly scripted some of India’s greatest wins in the face of such adversity?
Yet, the ones who are guilty remain adored by most quarters while the one-man army called Tendulkar received multiple brickbats for maintaining a dignified silence in the open.
Summary
For reasons best known to them, the BCCI never prosecuted the players who were involved, or even suspected of involvement, in match-fixing. Ironically, those characters now play the role of experts, analyzing Team India’s performance in each tournament or series. It would have indeed sent a strong message out to the rest of the world, and perhaps the spot-fixing saga of 2010 and the 2013 IPL might never have happened. The game warrants cleansing.
Runs and records are what Sachin is best remembered for. After the revelations in his book, maybe the cricket-crazy nation called India might want to add to their memories a couple of other unforgettable qualities – integrity & selflessness. For someone who played at the international stage for 24 years, carried the burden of a nation’s hopes for much of his illustrious career, and remained humble (at least in public) right up until the end of a glittering journey, the least his fans and supporters can do is acknowledge his contribution to exorcise the spectre of match-fixing.