Banning SRK in the best interests of the IPL

It has to be accepted how the appearance of any franchise owner, whether innocently or not, skulking about in the team’s dugout would be seen as a tad suspicious.

Slapping a ban on Shahrukh Khan’s movements is not either, as one fool suggests, a paranoid act instigated by ‘a jealous International Cricket Council interfering in Indian affairs’, but sensible action by the Indian member of the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit.

He has a role to play and job to perform and while necessity maybe the father of invention, keeping such as banning a Bollywood idol is keeping temptation away.

Who would cop it if it was discovered how players had been approached by one of the ugliest manifestations of humanity, an illegal bookie with his unctuous behaviour, and it later emerged that matches were fixed.

Who would feel cheated then? Who would be told he wasn’t doing his job in accordance with his position of cleaning up the game? What would be the reaction of the ICC, BCCI and the public?

It’s time to wake up to reality and the reality is that bookies would do their best to get at players and find a way of breaching security.

Although they are well paid and this short version of the game often results in swift strategy changes, don’t think for a moment such scum wouldn’t try his luck to get an ugly thug toe in the door and offer a foul-smelling crooked smile with a fat fee inducement as an added sweetener.

If the West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels was foolish enough to sell his career down the sewer for a few dollars through connivance and association with such human trash, what is the chance of a franchise owner unthinkingly doing a similar foolhardy act?

Hopefully it has come as a warning to all Indian Premier League owners how the team’s precincts are solely those of the players and team management, not the franchise wallahs who feel that as they have dished out US$79.5 million means they are entitled to get close up to the action as it takes place.

No one sees other face of the Bollywood glamour scene involved in the IPL, the outspoken Ms Priety Zinta hanging around with the ‘boys’ until after the game has been won or lost. She has a lot more common sense, dignity and courage: and all deserving recognition.

While others backed down, her decision to repeat in court statements in 2003 against the Indian Mafia in the infamous Bharat Shah case earned her commendation. It showed that she is far more than a talented screen star. It displayed a lot of guts.