IN A cricket crazy nation like India, where cricket is not just a sport, a game, but a religion, which is followed by every common man from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the match fixing scandal, which came to limelight after the South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje admitted in media that cricket matches were fixed by bookies and a large sum was offered to players for making the result of the game in favour of the bookies who make bets worldwide on the game and make millions in just a single day. This had resulted in the retirement of Md Azharuddin as Indian skipper and few other members of the Indian cricket team were also dropped from the team on their doubtful integrity.

Later, the former skipper died in a plane crash. Then, it was the turn of Bob Woolmer, former Pakistan coach, who was writing a book on the betting racket, but unfortunately he too was murdered in a hotel room in West Indies during the World Cup tournament and till date nothing came out as to why was he killed and who killed him? And whether both the African skipper and former Pakistan coach knew something else besides betting (fixing), for which they were killed, is not known to anybody.

That was for the first time when the common man of this nation rose to know that matches can be fixed in cricket. This made them feel cheated and then many of the sports lovers turned their attention to other games so that they can watch a real treat and a fair game, for which the sportsmen are known. But then news reports came in from other quarters, which revealed that fixing is not just limited and restricted to cricket only. Famous top ranking players in tennis too were found of fixing the matches. Then it was the turn of hockey. In Malaysia, there were allegations of fixing the hockey team of Malaysia. Many believe that even the fights in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) are fixed and the great Indian Khali lost his bout because there was a huge amount at risk from the Indian fans who were sure of Khali’s victory in the WWE competition going on in America, but the result went against the wishes of Indian fans and Khali lost the fight in the ring.

Earlier, sports were considered to be a healthy activity involving fair means. Nowadays, every other day a player is tested positive in doping test for using prohibited drugs. Then the height of cheating came to the fore at an international sporting event when an Indian male athlete from Tamil Nadu won a bronze medal in the race meant for women athletes. He participated in disguise of a woman. The incident disgraced the nation and later an inquiry was constituted to probe the matter.

All this makes one thing quite clear that sports are no more a fair game. This puts up another question in front of us-should we still watch sports? Is it not waste of our precious time to watch matches, which are never fair in play? Why to go to stadiums and create security problems for these players who have lost their credibility? Is there any worth left in sports? When the players too have been found guilty of indiscipline and their conduct is loosing grounds of morality, should we ask our children to ape these gentlemen who are not honest to themselves and to the nation as well? Recently, there was an incident where Pakistan cricket players Shoaib Akhtar, who was found carrying syringes during the Indian Premiere League (IPL) tournament and then Mohd Asif was caught at the Dubai airport for carrying illegal drugs. Can these players be called ambassadors of sports whereas their behaviour and conduct looks like that of a drug-peddler.

Sports have lost its charm. Now one should not look seriously to matches coming on the idiot-box because they are fixed and so it would not be wise to see the matches at all and make fool of own self.