Shocking to find players tempted to make quick bucks: Gavaskar

Last Updated: Friday, May 17, 2013, 00:00

Tags: Sunil Gavaskar, Rajasthan Royals, S Sreesanth, IPL spot-fixing, Cricket News

Shocking to find players tempted to make quick bucks: Gavaskar

New Delhi: "Shocked" by the allegations of spot-fixing against three Rajasthan Royals` players, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar said he was astonished that some cricketers were tempted to make a quick buck despite IPL rewarding them handsomely.

"I am completely shocked. It`s a great platform for players to showcase their talent. They are even rewarded over-handsomely...Some of them perhaps over handsomely. To find out that some players are tempted to do something like that, it is shocking," said Gavaskar.

He, however, added that the players must be considered innocent till they are proven guilty.

"We need to wait till the whole thing is over and we also need to look at the situation because you are innocent till you are proved guilty," Gavaskar told a news channel in an exclusive chat.

Gavaskar insisted that during his association with the Indian Premier League since its inception in 2008, he had not felt anything fishy.

"The Twenty20 format is such that the sport sees unorthodox strokes and because of the nature of the format you expect the unexpected as far as cricketing skills are concerned. It`s considered part of the game. I haven`t seen anything that has raised my eyebrows," he said.

As a commentator, Gavaskar said he describes a shot or delivery by the merit of it but later when he comes to know that it was tweaked, he feels like an idiot.

"You just feel like an idiot. You bring some of your cricketing experience to make case for a particular delivery or a shot and if later on something like this comes up then you think you have been made an absolute fool," he said.

A special cell of the Delhi police arrested S Sreesanth and his teammates -- Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- along with seven bookies after the Rajasthan Royals IPL match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

Sreesanth`s parents pointed fingers at Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh for trying to wreck their son`s cricketing career.

But Gavaskar begged to differ.

"Mahi and Bhajji have better things to do. And in any case, Sreesanth is out of the Indian team.

"If Sreesanth is out of the Indian team, it is because of cricketing reasons. Any other allegation is utter nonsense," he said.

Sreesanth is not a popular member of the Indian dressing room, perhaps because he an attention seeker and a little bit of distraction," Gavaskar added.

The former captain, however, said he could understand his parents` reaction.

"I can understand where Sreesanth`s parents are coming from. Their son has been out of the Indian team, had a few surgeries and working hard at his game. So as parents they may feel bad," he explained.

PTI

First Published: Thursday, May 16, 2013, 22:32