Not enforcing follow-on was a team decision: Tendulkar

Three months have passed since the match-fixing controversy first broke out on April 7. Neither the International Cricket Council (ICC) nor the respective boards have done anything significant but for the world body coming up with a code of conduct for players and the South African board asking players to sign a declaration that they would not and have not been involved in match fixing. The investigation cases, both in India and elsewhere are progressively slow. The fact that players and officials have either denied their involvement in match fixing or have refused to come out in the open has not helped matters. Initially the scam was marked by personal egos and charges and counter charges by personalities. Now with officials of one country finding fault with another, things seems to have have reached a nadir.

Unveiling the events over the last three months, it all started with the interception of talks between a bookie and Hansie Cronje by the Delhi Police. Since then, it's been more of a mega serial. A progress card of the events show that only India, Pakistan and South Africa have made a full fledged probe into the controversy. Other countries have either ignored or washed their hands off from the affair.

The Indian government has appointed its premier investigation agency to look into the murky dealings while Pakistan appointed a judicial inquiry which has made its findings public. In South Africa, a commission of inquiry headed by Judge Edwin King was appointed, with the commission summoning both players and officials to depose before them. These included Hansie Cronje and some alleged bookies. The commission is expected to submit its interim report by next month.

More than three years after he first brought match fixing into focus, the central character in India still remains Manoj Prabhakar. The former Indian all rounder continues to make the headlines in one form or the other. Just a couple of days back he had written an open letter asking 'master blaster' Sachin Tendulkar to come out in the open and talk about the controversy generated by the decision not to enforce the follow on in the Ahmedabad Test match played against New Zealand last year.

In response to Prabhakar's letter, Tendulkar on Friday not only defended his decision but also said it was a 'team decision'. In the tapes released by Prabhakar, the BCCI secretary JY Lele while talking to him had mentioned that Tendulkar wanted the follow-on to be enforced but the decision was reversed by the coach Kapil Dev.

Talking to an Indian newspaper, Tendulkar made his stand clear. He said "Not enforcing the follow-on wasn't decided by one or two people. It was, as I've said, a team decision." He added "If one remembers, two of the players were indisposed (Ajay Jadeja and Devang Gandhi). Then, having already bowled over 140 overs in the first innings, the bowlers were dead tired."

Continuing, Tendulkar said "As it turned out, New Zealand lost only two wickets (second innings) in the 95 overs we ended up bowling... As I was the captain then, I'm only clarifying the position. I don't wish to either start or fan a controversy."

But whereas Tendulkar was just stating the facts from his viewpoint, Indian coach Kapil Dev, asked to comment on the same issue, was dismissive about the letter by Prabhakar saying "Who is this Prabhakar? I don't know him and, therefore, don't wish to talk about him." Kapil added "You're talking of an `open' letter... Well, I'm not into reading them. In any case, as I've said, yeh Prabhakar kaun hai?"

Most of Prabhakar's allegations on certain incidents have either been denied or contradicted by those said to have been involved. Any further twist in the match-fixing episode will not help the investigative agency to proceed along smoothly. Indeed, it could only create further complications for them. In short, one would like to share the world's best batsman's concern that "As a cricketer I'll be happy if, at the end of it all, the game is allowed to move on." One only hopes his wise words come true.