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The Bookies vs. the 'Booked'
Who is to blame?

Why blame the bookies? Everyone seems to be hell bent upon squeezing the life out of these much-in-the-news 'bookies'. Granted, the bookies have the all important big dough - and they offer, lure and tempt. But isn't it the players themselves who are finally responsible for getting lured in, tempted and accepting the offer? Now, who is to blame? The pack of cards or the gambler whose greed gets the better of him?

Former International Cricket Council president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Sunday said, "In my opinion, 10 to 15 percent of the blame should go to the players and the rest to bookies. Bookies are the root cause of the problem." Agree with him? We do not. A case of blame the bookies and spare the player? Though, Dalmiya also admitted that "some players are definitely involved" in the match fixing saga. "Instead of the Chandrachud Commission, we should have approached the government to institute a CBI enquiry."

However, Dalmiya at least had the good sense to find at least some fault with the cricketers. "There are definitely some black sheep who must be identified and punished," he said. "An impression has gained that cricket is played for the sake of bookies - one of the worst to happen." What is he trying to imply? That the players are a rosy basket of a bunch of apples? And a couple of rotten ones are ruining them all? Excuse the pun, but we beg to differ. By the way things look, and the rate at which secrets are being disclosed and scraped out, one can not guarantee even one single player's honest intentions. A sad day for a cricket lover. So, what seems to be the solution - or rather, a feel-good alternative? Blame the bookies. A loyal cricket fan is still protective about his idols. But what is bewildering is the reason behind Dalmiya's demeanour. Something tells me the reason is not quite the same.

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