Spot-fixing: If it’s predictable, it’s not a sport!

Two twin brothers born along with cricket when IPL started are Bollywood-style entertainment and controversy. Every edition of the IPL has had a fair share of these two aspects, apart from the cricket. The latest one in a series of controversies is probably the most dangerous one to plague, spot-fixing. And one of the perpetrators, Sreesanth, was involved in an earlier controversy with Harbhajan Singh- the Slapgate.

Sreesanth is amongst the ones who are alleged to be involved in spot fixing. So let us ask a basic question, why is fixing bad? To answer this question, let us try to answer one more question. How is sport different from Bollywood? Bollywood follows a script, whereas sport doesn’t. It is that unpredictability which gives sport its appeal. Achievement in sport often gives us an elation that can rarely be matched by anything else. All of this is reduced to nothing if sport becomes predictable. This is precisely the reason why fixing is bad. If I know that the next over is going for 13 runs, I will just turn off the television.

Sport is a great celebration of human capabilities. When Usain Bolt breaches the 100m barrier in 9.39 seconds, or when Federer wins 17 Grand Slams or when Sachin scores 100 100s, it is a celebration of great human deeds. It might be one achievement for a man, but it is one great achievement for mankind. It fills us with hope that when man puts his thoughts on one goal and concentrates all his energies in that direction, almost nothing is impossible. I think this single character makes sport such a great spectacle. Sport might not solve the problems of the world directly, it might not solve border issues, it might not reduce hunger or bring millions of people out of the poverty line, but what sport gives us is a weapon – hope, that with proper effort, nothing is impossible.

When we hear about a fixing scandal, this powerful weapon loses a slight sheen. Next time the bowler delivers an outswinger and gets the batsman caught behind, we might suspect the batsman’s intentions, or when the batsman tries a switch-hit, would we not think – “Is that a signal?” And because of that, not only are the fans alienated, but also the team mates, the captain and the management. Every time this happens, there is a small loss of interest for a major stakeholder of the game – the fan.

So what can be done to stop this menace? Can the BCCI shower so much money, much more than any bookie can ever offer to a player, so that he doesn’t indulge in fixing? Probably BCCI can, given its wealthy coffers, but can all governing bodies across sport afford to do this? Probably not.

Can we talk about honour, integrity, representing your country etc? All of that can be talked about till eternity, but does that really make a difference to the present situation? Again, probably not. Cheating in sport is like cancer – there is no cure in sight. Probably one thing that authorities can do is mete out exemplary punishment so that players in future would think twice before cheating.