Why Kambli's allegations were laughed at

On Yahoo Cricket, AR Hemant explains why Vinod Kambli's serious allegation that there may have been dishonesty involved in India's decision to field first in the 1996 World Cup semi-final has not been taken seriously by other cricketers and the BCCI. Kambli, he says, has a reputation for being involved in controversies and will unfortunately be remembered more for that than for being a fine batsman.

It didn't help that Kambli, despite his best intentions, had the tactfulness of a five-year-old. There's a story about him that a Mumbai cricketer once shared. When Kambli, still 17, hit his first ball in Ranji Trophy for a six, he immediately held up his hand to stop the non-striker from taking a run. "Kambli was sure so he had hit the ball for a six, he didn't want to waste his energy running for that shot," the cricketer said. But the non-striker was a heavyweight in Indian cricket and a man not to be trifled with.