How the fate of a cricket match was turned around during a Luncheon Discussion at Chepauk
If you thought match fixing in cricket was a phenomenon of the Azhar and Hansie Cronje era, here’s a glimpse into what took place in the decade prior to that in the renowned first division TNCA league here in Madras.
It was a match in the mid 1980s at Chepauk between two several decades old clubs, both supported by leading, large corporate groups.
The first team were in the top half of the table but had no intention of going after the coveted title. The team scored 250+ in their first innings. The team batting 2nd (one of the most popular teams in the first division league with a long list of India stars in its fold during its period of existence) had been promised an all inclusive all paid trip to Singapore and Hongkong if they won the Palayampatti shield that year.
At lunch on day two, the team batting second were struggling at 160/7 when the captain of their team, a former India player and a well known ‘deal maker’ walked into the opposition dressing room at Chepauk. Prior to the lunch break, two seasoned spinners, both of whom narrowly missed playing for the country, were turning the ball square, had tied the opposition down and bagged wickets in pairs.
Post this ‘secretive’ luncheon discussion, things changed dramatically as the two star bowlers gave way and did not bowl. Two part time bowlers (one of whom also bowled part time for India and took wickets for the country!!!) bowled 'ordinary stuff' to give away the first innings lead. Both the teams comprised of international players as well as top Ranji stars of that decade.
The 2ndteam went on to win the Palayampatti shield that year and the entire squad went on that promised fully all paid for overseas trip (the flight ticket itself would have cost around Rs. 80000 in those days).
When the sponsor of the first team, one from a renowned traditional corporate family of Tamil Nadu came to know of this much later, he was utterly shocked and expressed his unhappiness to the team management and was disappointed till the very end of his life that this kind of a ‘deal’ had happened with his team.
The youngsters in the 1st team who saw this were totally disillusioned by the happenings inside the dressing room and the subsequent turn of events that it disturbed them mentally in that phase of life - the fact that something like this could happen in cricket, a game that they had taken up as a passion and to exhibit their talent.
(also read: http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/03/league-cricket-in-madras.html)
(also read: http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2014/03/league-cricket-in-madras.html)