A question of faith

The details are too insubstantial and hazy to frame conclusions or even attempt to comment with any degree of authority. But this much can be said: for the sake of the game, let's hope this is a rare case of smoke without fire and the conversations that the Nagpur police claimed to have taped between Marlon Samuels and an alleged bookie are no more than a temporary indiscretion from a gullible player. Cricket can't afford to have its foundations shaken once again.

The scars of the last scandal remain, the cynicism it bred hasn't been easy to ward off. The morning after the story broke, I happened to be chatting to an Indian player (not currently in the team) and the conversation inevitably veered towards the Samuels affair. "You wouldn't believe it", he said cautiously, "how many times have I looked at a session of play or a decision at the toss and wondered whether something was amiss."

Coming from a current player, it was a jolt. What would the fans be thinking? Questions are already pouring out, and they are not restricted to Samuels. Why did West Indies choose to field every time they won the toss? Isn't it better to have runs on the board on flat pitches than chase 300? How can Chanderpaul score 149 off 133 balls in one match and 67 off 125 in the next? How come Samuels, who bowled 10 overs in the first match and was the most economical bowler in a run-fest, didn't bowl a single over on a slow and low pitch in the second match?

Of course, all of this can be explained in cricket terms. West Indies have been happy chasers for years and it is routine for Brian Lara to insert the opposition; Chanderpaul has been a schizophrenic batsman all his life - he has a 69-ball hundred, but once scored 136 runs off 510 balls; the West Indian medium pacers were doing quite well on an up-and-down pitch and Samuels wasn't needed. But once the seeds of doubt have been planted, we can safely bet that questions will continue to be raised. Every time a player's name is linked to a bookie, the whole game comes under a shadow.

That's why the administrators - the ICC and the West Indian Cricket Board - must act swiftly. Innuendo and speculation will hurt cricket. The last match-fixing scandal shook the faith of the believers. It took a while for the cricket fan to be able to watch a game of cricket for what it was. Cricket is a game of unpredictable twists and turns. It's a part of the game that batsmen will be run out, catches will be dropped, players will have off days and, every now and then, a captain will make a silly mistake. If dark thoughts invade the mind each time such a thing happens we might as well stop watching the game.

We will never know the full story of the previous match-fixing scandal. Some of those found guilty have been rehabilitated, but it is more than likely many more got away. Some national boards acted half-heartedly, some shoved it under the carpet. Cricket simply can't afford do so again. To start with, if the matter isn't investigated and dealt with immediately, the World Cup will be played under a cloud.

Given the background and the strict ICC norms, it is incredible for an international player to be discussing team composition and bowling strategy on the phone a day before the match

If Samuels is telling the truth, that he knew Mukesh Kochar but didn't know he was a bookie, he can be accused of being unbelievably naive. Given the background and the strict ICC norms, it is incredible for an international player to be discussing team composition and bowling strategy on the phone a day before the match. That the subcontinent is the hub of illegal betting is hardly a secret and it is a failure of common sense from the player, and negligence on the part of the team.

And the Indian police will be doing no one any favours if they choose to leak out the selective information. For more than a day, India was agog with speculation over the involvement of an "Indian allrounder who batted in the lower order". Then Robin Singh's name emerged. And now, looking at the transcripts, it seems to be a reference to a "Robinson". Match-fixers, or those who dally with bookmakers, have no place in cricket. But neither should players be held guilty by suspicion.

It's time to act. There is no space for bargaining and politicking. To do so would be to play with faith and trifle with the future of cricket.