Former players welcome BCCI's decision on IPL fixing scandal

Former cricketers today welcomed the BCCI's decision to slap life ban on T P Sudhindra and varying degrees of sanctions to four other players caught in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, saying that anybody found guilty of corruption should be handed deterrent punishment.

Former opener Arun Lal said that no sympathy should be shown to these players who were found guilty of indulging in shadowy deals in the Indian Premier League and other matches.

"No sympathy should be shown to these players. Those engaging in such corrupt practices should be handed exemplary punishment," he said. "Sudhindra received life ban as he was actually involved and it's the right decision by the BCCI. But some are having just the intent and not actually doing and so they got lesser punishment. We cannot let anybody unpunished for damaging the image of the game which has survived for so long. I am happy with the decision of the BCCI," he added.

The BCCI's disciplinary committee, headed by President N Srinivasan, today handed the punishments on the five players after a meeting in Mumbai. Apart from the sanction on Sudhindra, BCCI slapped a five-year ban on Shalabh Srivastava while Mohnish Mishra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali were banned for a year each.

Former wicket-keeper batsman Syed Kirmani agreed that exemplary punishment should be given to cricketers found guilty of corrupt practices but felt that all those involved in the scandal should have been handed life bans.

"Anybody found guilty of such corrupt practices should be handed exemplary punishment so that other cricketers deter from doing these acts. But the punishments should have been same whether the offence was grave or lighter," Kirmani said.

"It should have been life bans for all of them whether one did the actual thing or others were having just the intent. It should not have been life ban for one and other lighter punishments for others," added Kirmani. Meanwhile, Bali, who was present to express his view before the Disciplinary Committee, said that he would accept the decision and would not make a legal challenge.

"I have been held guilty of only loose talks on TV. I will not go for any legal action," he said. The five uncapped players were allegedly caught indulging in corrupt practices, including spot-fixing, by a TV channel which conducted a sting operation during this year's IPL.

BCCI had then asked its anti-corruption unit chief Ravi Sawani to conduct a probe into the matter and he submitted his report to Srinivasan a few weeks back. The BCCI Disciplinary Committee, whose other members are vice-presidents Arun Jaitely and Niranjan Shah, perused the report and took the decision today.