<div><em><strong>Sutanu Guru</strong> takes a look at the half-hearted measures to clean up Indian cricket</em></div><div> </div><div>No major newspaper or TV channel in India is covering a sensational trial related to cricket that is going on in England. Former New Zealand captain and all rounder Chris Cairns is on trial facing charges of perjury. Very briefly, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had sent out a tweet in 2010 accusing Cairns of being involved in match fixing in India in 2008. Cairns sued Modi and won damages in 2012. But subsequent events suggest that Cairns had lied to the court and is now facing trial for perjury. Just a few days ago, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum told the court in England that his "hero" Cairns had indeed asked him to get involved in match fixing. Some news reports suggest that a half naked girl was once offered as a prize for "under performing" during matches.</div><div> </div><div>For a country obsessed with cricket, the complete absence of coverage of this important trial related to corruption and match fixing is quite intriguing in itself. More so when one of the principal characters in Lalit Modi who was headline news for almost one whole month beginning late June. But for a once cricket obsessed fan like this author who now prefers to watch Big Boss rather than the live telecast of a cricket match (involving India; the author still watches test matches involving Australia and South Africa), this reflects how India has dealt with the all pervasive rot in cricket.</div><div> </div><div>Two big news items surfaced even as the perjury trial of Cairns was blissfully ignored. First came the news that Pepsi was withdrawing from the IPL because the persistent allegations of match fixing and related scandals had so badly damaged the image of IPL that Pepsi felt its own brand equity will be damaged if continued to be associated with it. Then came news that a Chinese mobile phone company called Vivo would replace Pepsi as the IPL sponsor. This author has never heard of a company called Vivo. And yet, It seems Vivo has agreed to cough up about Rs 180 crores for the privilege of being associated with the IPL for the next two years. In 2012, Pepsi had signed a contract with BCCI to sponsor the IPL for five years at a total cost of about Rs 396 crores. According to news reports, the company had already paid about Rs 210 crores. Now, Vivo will pay the remaining amount for the IPL to be held in 2016 and 2017.</div><div> </div><div>Interestingly, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals will not be involved the 2016 and 2017 editions of IPL since they have been "suspended" for two years after a committee appointed by the Supreme Court found merit in serious allegations of corruption, conflict of interest and match fixing against key people associated with these teams. Just yesterday, at a high powered meeting, the BCCI decided that it will ask for bids for two new teams who will temporarily replace CSK and RR for two years. Yes, temporarily. According to the BCCI, both CSK and RR will be back in 2018. A cooking sense question is: how does it make sense for an entrepreneur or a company to "temporarily" own two teams for two years? Will they then fade away once RR and CSK come back in 2018?</div><div> </div><div>Frankly, nothing about Indian cricket and the angering amounts of money involved in it makes any sense. It seems we in the media seem to have lost the ability to ask even basic common sense questions to people and institutions who claim to be cleaning up the rot in Indian cricket. A sealed envelope containing many "names" accused of corruption and worse in IPL has been submitted to the Supreme Court. But the Court has chosen not to make the names public. Perhaps the Court was if the opinion that revealing the names would unfairly tarnish the image of people against whom allegations have not been proven. </div><div> </div><div>Meanwhile, the third T-20 between India and South Africa could not be played at the historic Eden Gardens at Kolkatta because a non functional drainage system ensured that play was not possible at the ground. But hey, cricket is a religion in India. Who cares? This author hopes the Indian media will at least cover the verdict in the perjury trial of Chris Cairns this weekend.</div>
