Azad criticises controversy-ridden IPL – Cricket News Update
Former cricketer and current Member of Parliament, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kirtivardhan-Bhagwat-Jha-Azad-c71530, spoke out against the recent controversies in the Indian Premier League, and questioned the way the cash-rich tournament was run.
“I am not against the IPL. My question is on how it is run,” he asked at a recent protest staged against the dismal state of the sport in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Vivek-Razdan-c95515,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gurcharan-Singh-c60899.
“Why do such problems not occur in Test matches, ODIs, domestic tournaments or matches of any age group?” he demanded.
The ex-cricketer went on to pinpoint unsavory incidents that had occurred throughout the tournament.
“Look, everything has happened in the IPL -- a cricketer slapping another, five players being held for spot-fixing and now comes this case where an international cricketer (Pomersbach) is involved in a molestation case,” he pointed out.
Admittedly the IPL has been a hotbed of controversy and scandal since its inception in 2008. Among the early incidents was an altercation between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Harbhajan-Singh-c61453 and S. Sreesanth, during which the elder player ended up slapping the youngster.
The current season of the IPL has also seen its fair share of controversy. A recent sting operation revealed the presence of corrupt under-the-table activities which were prevalent in the tournament – it not only exposed players indulging in spot-fixing,
but also revealed the presence of black money transactions, with cricketers being paid more than the amount agreed upon in their contracts.
The revelations galvanised the BCCI which has suspended the players in question, in addition to establishing an anti-corruption unit, and an inquiry commission to probe the allegations.
Yet another recent incident involved Bollywood superstar Shahrukh http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Maharashtra-c811 Cricket Association officials at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, and may be banned from the venue for a period of up to five years.
Another shocking incident involved Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Luke-Pomersbach-c1856 being charged for molestation, after allegedly forcing himself on an American woman at a hotel, and physically assaulting her fiancé when he tried to retrain the
Aussie cricketer. He was taken into police custody, but released on bail yesterday.
Azad questioned the handling of such matters, claiming the player who had slapped another ought to have been issued a ban, and also criticised overseas players for taking undue advantage of their status as foreigners in the country.
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