Harshad and Hansie: The similarities

Many similarities can be drawn from the stock market scam involving Harshad Mehta and the match fixing scandal involving the defamed South African Hansie Cronje. First, it was done with the help of certain people who were part and parcel of the process. Secondly, they manipulated the end result, whether in the market or in cricket. Third, the key in both cases was providing inside information. Fourth, they both betrayed their own people and the trust in an institution. If the stock market was badly affected earlier, the game of cricket is the sufferer now.

During his heyday, in the early 90s, when 'Big Bull' Harshad Mehta walked into the stock exchange, the scrips would soar. Similarly, Hansie Cronje was the darling of the masses in South Africa. He was one of the most admired, respected and successful captains in the history of the game. Little did the people realise that something was wrong. After all, he had created a similar kind of euphoria that Mehta had been responsible for in the stock market.

If Mehta got vital information or a tip off from company sources so that he could rig a scrip and speculate, Cronje did just the opposite. He provided vital information to the bookies. One thing common in this was that both fell to the bait and the lure of money and involved themselves in too much speculation. But both were caught not through investigations, but by pure chance!

Both exposed the loopholes in the system. If Mehta exposed them in the stock market, Cronje exposed them through betting. Both knew how to exploit the situation as there were no guidelines or framework as to what to do and what ought not to do. After all, in earlier cases in cricket betting, Australian players like Shane Warne and Mark Waugh were let off lightly by the ICC and the ACB.

When Mehta was caught in the act, the initial reaction was shock and disbelief. The government realised that it was time for a massive clean-up of the disorganised sector and appointed regulators to look into the working of the stock exchanges and its related activities. Now the trading is both cautious and transparent as the people are aware that someone is keeping a watch on the dealings.

Similarly the cricketing world was stunned at Cronje's confession of his involvement with the punters. The incident has woken up the ICC, the UCBSA and the BCCI who have started to look into the menace of match fixing and betting rather seriously. Better late than never.

Perhaps it would be better for the game if betting is legalised as in other sports and countries. That way hopefully things will be more transparent. Otherwise the authorities will have to eradicate the menace as early as possible and try to break the nexus between the gamblers and the players so that they can clean up the mess for the betterment of the game before it spreads like a cancer.

A committee to look into this disease has to be set up soon by the ICC. This committee will have to work in consensus with other cricket boards in such a way that such an incident doesn't take place henceforth in any part of the globe. It is time that the ICC, various other cricket boards and the governments come together, shedding their inhibitions. Will they all join together and act is the million dollar question? And when will they do so? Any bets? (Oops, sorry)!