The BCCI’s new Anti-Corruption Unit chief Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala doesn’t need betting to be legalised in India as it “encourages” match-fixing and feels his greatest problem might be stamping out “shady activities” from smaller leagues. There is a faculty of thought that legalising betting will herald large revenues for the federal government at a time when most of it goes unchecked. But Khandwawala appears to be like at it in a different way.
“Whether the government legalises betting or not that is a different matter but deep inside, I feel as a police officer that betting can lead to match fixing. The government, so far, has rightly not legalised betting,” the 70-year-old advised PTI. “Betting encourages match fixing. So there should not be any change on this, we can make the rules more strict. We will work on that. It is a matter of great prestige that cricket is largely free of corruption. Credit should go to BCCI for that.” In the phrases of outgoing BCCI ACU chief Ajit Singh, legalising betting is one other approach of controlling corruption within the sport.
Union minister and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur, too, had steered legalising underground betting and playing sporting actions final 12 months. However, Khandwawala, a former DGP of Gujarat, feels in any other case on the topic.
“Betting might be legal in some countries but the people who go into stadiums to watch the game and watch it on television they believe in this game and don’t go to grounds thinking this game could be fixed. We need to protect their belief that game is free of all corruption.” While the sport on the highest degree stays kind of clear, corruption instances have come to mild within the native and state T20 leagues. With the shortest format thriving, Khandwawala mentioned detecting and stopping “shady” practices in these leagues might be his workforce’s greatest problem. “Our top players are so well paid that they are miles from the menace of match-fixing. We should feel proud about that.
“Rooting out corruption from smaller events and leagues is a big challenge and we need to put an end to it. We need to ensure there is nothing shady happening at all levels of cricket being played in the country. Besides detecting, preventing any shady activity is very important,” he mentioned. Khandwala feels his love for the sport ought to assist him immensely on this new position.
“During my time as a police officer, I organised many (police) tournaments in Gujarat. I have loved the game since childhood. “A lot of good work has been done in the past and I need to carry that forward. New players coming into the scene are most vulnerable. We need to protect them.” Khadwawala’s first task with the BCCI would be the IPL starting April 9.
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