The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2012 ended on a good note with a thrilling high-scoring final match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Chennai Super Kings. But looking back, the tournament will be remembered for scandals and controvercies.
Cricket is touted as a "gentleman's game" but scandals and controversies marred IPL 5 that concluded on Sunday, disappointing millions of cricket lovers around the world.
Spot-fixing: A sting operation by a television channel exposed spot-fixing and underhand financial dealings in IPL. It apparently caught five players representing various IPL teams resorting to spot fixing. Some players were reportedly caught demanding money for no-ball in IPL.
Molestation Case: Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach of Royal Challengers Bangalore was charged with molestation case after an Indian-American named Zohal Hamid accused him of misbehaving with her and beating up her fiancé. The cricketer was arrested following the complaint and later released on bail. The victim had dropped the case against Luke and RCB director Siddharth Mallya but the wounds remain.
Shah Rukh Khan Row: An ugly scene occurred at the Mumbai's Wankhede stadium in one of the matches between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Mumbai Indians. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh, the owner of KKR, got into a brawl with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials. MCA alleged that the actor was drunk, which he denied. It has banned him from entering Wankhede stadium for five years following the altercation.
Rave Party: Two cricketers from the Indian Premier League, identified as Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell, were detained after being caught in a rave party at Oakwood hotel. They were among 100 people caught in the party. The cricketers claimed innocence and said that they don't even drink alcohol but the damage has already been done.
The officials of the IPL and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have boasted of IPL 5 success. Yes, it's no doubt a success, with thousands of people watching the matches live at various venues and millions of others glueing to the television throughout. The final match between the KKR and the CSK, where the former won, boosted the spirit of the IPL with superb performances from both the teams.
However, the slips that happened during the course of the IPL matches have sent a clear message that the BCCI and IPL officials have not done their homework.
