Even as the nation continues to grapple with the shocking revelation of spot-fixing uncovered by the Delhi Police this morning, yet another controversy has rocked the world of cricket.
In a sting operation, carried out by Tehelka, a bookie has confessed to accepting offers made by Ashok Dinda in another spot-fixing exercise.
Ashok Dinda, allegedly approached the bookie and offered him certain overs of the match for a fixed price. The bookie, now in custody of the betting fraternity has accepted the charges and called it a 'momentary lapse of judgment.' The bowler, reportedly promised the bookie maiden overs in the match, or even wickets.
The bookie, identified as "Manoj Tripathi" was caught by the Betting Association of India, an unofficial and secret organization, after tip-off received from another bookies on Tripathi's alleged involvement with the bowling stalwart, known for his pace and ability to swing the ball on all kinds of pitches.
"We have clear, concise rules regarding some players. What's the point betting on an Ashok Dinda when you know his game is so flawlessly consistent?" noted one bookie operating from Noida.
BAI's spokesman, Rahul Kumar has come out in strongest words against the news and pointed out how rewarding the industry really is and how IPL is an amazing platform for young talent to showcase themselves while also being rewarded handsomely. He observed that this just goes on to show that greed is a never-ending problem, or why else would one compromise their morals and ethics by completely disregarding the principles of the very same institution that gave them so much. He obviously was talking about Manoj Tripathi.
Sir Ravindra Jadeja was the first amongst the active players to make a comment on the situation calling this a bizarre event of 'reverse spot-fixing' where the players approached the bookie and convinced them for the deal.
Officials at BCCI and IPL are meanwhile baffled at the course of action they are supposed to take against the bowler, given that he spot-fixed for better performance and not otherwise. "There cannot be a punishment for a player when he promises someone a better performance in return for monetary benefits. It's like young Sachin Tendulkar telling his father, I will do better in today's game if you will give me Rs. 500/-."
The bookie, also has more balls in his court than one. Buying into Dinda's story, the bookie lost a lot of money and has now piled up a huge debt for wrongly placing bets assuming the bowler will fulfill his promise.
Ashok Dinda, meanwhile remained unavailable for comment with just a solitary tweet stating "It couldn't get worse." Unaware fans assumed this as a reference to his spells in his last match against KKR by putting in a word or two of solace.
Delhi Police Comissioner, Neeraj Kumar, meanwhile said in a press conference that this could be a part of a much larger conspiracy and that many small names may emerge, prompting the reporters present to probe if this was an indication towards Ashish Nehra and R.P. Singh also being a part of the racket.
Betting fans have taken it to social media and the entire betting fraternity is receiving a lot of flak over the event. Experts say it will take some time before BAI is able to polish its tarnished image and regain the trust of enthusiasts once again.
[Disclaimer: The article is a spoof and an unreal take on the ongoing spot-fixing controversy.]
