All tamasha,

IPL:

no cricket

INDEX News for the wrong reasons

IPL has become newsworthy now The Ungentlemans Game 05 07

Molestation
RCBs Luke Pomersbach arrested for assaulting woman I unintentionally touched Hamid: Luke to police Mallya Jr accuses molestation victim of being all over him Sidhartha tweeted his impressions about ladys conduct: Mallya IPL molestation case: Police questions KP Appanna Luke Pomersbachs colourful history 10 12 14 16 17 18

Spot Fixing
Spot-fixing in IPL: Five cricketers suspended Match fixing scandal: Without trust, you cant watch sport IPL spot-fixing scandal: channel stands by sting operation Why do sting operations target only small-towners? Match-fixing sting: should IPL do away with spending cap? 20 22 24 25 27

The not so rave Party

2 IPL players among 100 held at drug-laced rave Organiser of Mumbai rave in police custody till 25 May Didnt consume drugs, confident of being proven innocent: Parnell 30 33 34 Mumbai rave party: Woman who invited high profile guests identified 32

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SRK hogs the limelight

Punish SRK for what hes worth Bal Thackeray slams SRK for misdemeanour SRKs midlife meltdown: Real, raw and tragic Newest idol for Shiv Sena, MNS: stadium guard who took on SRK 37 39 40 43

Ex-cricketers join the party

Shah Rukh fiasco a ploy by BCCI to hide spot fixing issue: Kirti Azad Azad adopts Annas tactics; begins fast against IPL BCCI to honour ex-players with surplus revenue from IPL Azad, Kapil Dev remain in the dark over BCCI benefits 45 46 47 48

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News for the wrong reasons

IPL has become

newsworthy now

As things stand, the IPL is a tournament that is going through some very exciting times. For good or for bad, that makes it newsworthy.
FP Sports, May 18, 2012

PL commissioner Rajeev Shukla came up with a gem at the fifth seasons opening night: If the beginning is like this you can understand how the tournament will go. Now he knows

the IPL seems to have made its own. It started off with the spot-fixing scandal, but the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council ensured that things didnt get out of hand but deferring a decision on the matter to a date after the IPL final. But then the Shah Rukh Khan-MCA officials brawl after the Kolkata Knight Riders -Mumbai Indians match at the Wankhede stadium a cou-

In the last week, the IPL has been hit by scandals and controversy, so much so that even Chris Gayles superb 128 with 13 sixes had to take a back seat to brand of entertainment that

ple of nights back saw the situation spiral out of control. It ended with the MCA recommending a 5-year ban on the star. I think a five-year ban is harsh simply because no one was injured or harmed. Shah Rukh did allege that one of the children were man-handled but he didnt file a report either, said Ayaz Memon. In hindsight, such an incident could have been avoided completely. However, the core of the issue is why such a thing should happen. It happens because there is complete ambiguity as to what an owner is allowed to do and what he cant. In certain stadiums, owners are allowed on to the ground. Here they apparently are not. This tarnishes the image of the IPL. Shah Rukh will now wonder why he went to the stadium at all. He didnt even watch the game, Ayaz further added.

Indeed, Sidhartha Mallya may also wonder why he vented on Twitter in support of Luke Pomersbach. The latter is an RCB player who was accused of molesting an American citizen on Thursday night in a Delhi hotel. The sad bit of the entire controversy is that cricket is being side-lined. Chris Gayles wonderful 128 including 13 sixes stands forgotten, as do Chennais troubles. The thing about Gayle is that he is from another planet. And now that he tries to hang around before hitting the leather off the ball means that he is even more dangerous, Ayaz added. As things stand, the IPL is a tournament that is going through some very exciting times. For good or for bad, that makes it newsworthy.

The Ungentlemans Game

Cricket was never meant to be a stage for war and its attendant crimes. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to become so.
Avinash Subramaniam, May 19, 2012 he current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has so far witnessed, at least, five incidents of players getting into arguments with the umpires, losing their cool, and, even, almost coming to blows with one and other at the end of the game. This is of course aside from being accused of spot-fixing and other examples of corruption. The culprits in all the aforementioned episodes have been Indian players. Which begs the question: Are Indian cricketers the worst behaved in the world? Until Sourav Ganguly took over the Indian captaincy in 2000, Indian teams steered clear of

sledging opponents, disputing umpiring decisions, and behaving like brats (give or take a Sunil Gavaskar). But all that changed when Sourav took over the captaincy. He got under the skin of opponents (by hook or by crook) and encouraged his players to do the same. As a result, his team became more combative, in more ways than one. A lot of this new found confidence had to do with the rise and rise of the businessmancum-cricket-administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya and the fact that (post the 1996 World Cup) South Asia was where most of the money to finance the International Cricket Councils (ICC) activities was coming from.

In a sense, this was a good for Indian and the coffers of world cricket. The Indian team ceased to be the pushovers they were generally seen as and began to perform much better overseas, which meant more revenues for the ICC to plough back into the game. But has that confidence now become an ugly, unsightly swagger? Yes, Andrew Flintoff behaved like a drunken lout in Mumbai after his team managed to beat India in India. But is that reason enough for millions of Indians to be so proud of Sourav doing the same at Lords in 2002? True, from the looks of it, most Australian players consider it fair game to shower filthy abuse at their opponents on the field and then invite them to share a beer after the game as if nothing untoward has taken place earlier. But does that mean Indian players ought to stoop to the same disreputable depths to conquer their unworthy opponents? The South Africans (under Hansie Cronje and Graeme Smith), too, have shown no qualms about degrading the Gentlemans game in an attempt to win a battle or two. For instance, many a cricket fan would have seen one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time behave in an absolutely despicable manner in order to get the batsman out; Allan Donald brazenly indulged in such shenanigans against Michael Atherton and Rahul Dravid, to mention just two such ugly moments in cricket. But does that justify, say, Harbhajan Singh doing the same time and again? A team is only as good as its captain is something you dont hear being said often enough. But this author thinks its true. Cronjes team felt free to behave badly because their captain wasnt exactly a gentleman. Souravs team nurtured brats because the skipper was (and probably still is) a bit of a brat himself. (Some would say thats putting it mildly.) The Mumbai Indians are behaving like a bunch of hooligans because their current captain is more than happy to get in the face (sometimes, literally) of

his opponents. And while all this bad behaviour might make for good television, its an appalling way to play this great game. Theres a reason the likes of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag, to name a few gentlemen, hold an extra special place in this writers heart. Fact is, they are members of a rather exclusive club of extraordinary cricketers who play the game the way it ought to be: With grace, respect, dignity and joy. Sadly, the next generation of Indians seems more inclined to idolise and emulate the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who hardly cover themselves in glory with their behaviour on the field. Perhaps weve become far too self-centred, and a bit like the United States of America. Most Indian cricket fans seem to harbour the illusion that the world of cricket is all about India. Lets not assume that all the funds Indian cricket is currently flush with is reason enough to behave like we own the game. History has shown time and again that pride comes before the fall. India desperately needs players who respect this great game for what it has given them: The opportunity to do something they love and get paid very large sums of money for it. In a country with millions struggling to simply make ends meet, only a fortunate few can play cricket for a living. To see these very blessed men behaving so badly on live television and, whats more, getting caught with their pants down in half-baked sting operations is simply disgusting. The very fine writer George Orwell, no great fan of competitive sport, famously said, Serious sport is war minus the shooting. However, he did consider cricket a sport that demanded grace more than brute strength. Cricket was never meant to be a stage for war and its attendant crimes. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to become so. For people seeking those sorts of cheap thrills, theres always football.

Molestation

for assaulting woman

The Delhi police today arrested Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB) player Luke Pomersbach for allegedly assaulting and misbehaving with a woman.
FP Staff, May 18, 2012 he controversies in the Indian Premier League (IPL) dont seem to end. After the Shah Rukh Khan episode yesterday, the Delhi police today arrested Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB) player Luke Pomersbach for allegedly misbehaving with a woman from the US and assaulting her male companion. The 27-year-old Australian player Luke Pomersbach allegedly misbehaved with the woman, a US citizen of Indian origin, at the Maurya Sheraton Hotel here last night.

RCBs Luke Pomersbach arrested

A case has been registered against him under various sections of IPC including section 354 of IPC (outraging modesty of woman), 323 (hurt), 454 (lurking house trespass) and 511 (Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment). Of these the first two offences are bailable while the other two arent. The woman told the police the player invited himself for some drinks with the couple and some common friends from Mumbai in their room.

She left the men alone and went to her bedroom for catching some sleep but Luke followed her and misbehaved with her, she alleged. When her fiancee intervened, Pomersbach allegedly beat him up, she told the police. The woman claimed that pressure was mounted on her not to approach the police over the case. She registered a complaint with the Delhi Police at the Chanakyapuri police station. The victim and her companion are now being treated at Primus Hospital in Delhi. Although, Pomersbach is from Australia, Indian law will be followed in his case, police officials said. IPL officials have said that the cricketer was responsible for his own actions and they would allow the law to take its own course. We are not responsible for his behaviour. IPL is not hosting any party, there are no official

parties, Rajiv Shukla, IPL commissioner, told reporters. The law will take its own course, let us get the police report and then we will decide future course of action, he said. There were no official parties in IPL 4 and 5. So the incident was not connected with an official IPL party. It was an individual misbehaviour of an individual player, her told reporters. We have done away with official parties. So if some individual player does something in his individual capacity in a hotel, IPL has nothing to do with it, he added. Asked what the IPL or the Cricket Board do now as the player has now been arrested by the Delhi police, Shukla said, Let the police deal with with it first, do their business. It is a police case and we will wait for the police report. With inputs from PTI

Hamid: Luke to police

Investigators claimed that Pomersbach told them that he unintentionally touched her and was under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place.
PTI, May 21, 2012 ustralian cricketer Luke Pomersbach, arrested on charges of molesting an American woman, has told police that he unintentionally touched the victim, investigators claimed today as another cricketer whose name cropped up during probe recorded his statement. K P Appanna, the teammate of Pomersbach, recorded his statement during which he denied allegations that he tried to barge into the room of the victim with the Australian cricketer.

I unintentionally touched

Investigators claimed that Pomersbach told them that he unintentionally touched her and was under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place. Pomersbach or his lawyer could not be contacted for comments. Pomersbach was arrested on Friday after Zohal Hamid alleged that he molested her and hit her fiance Sahil Peerzada when he objected to the cricketers behaviour. Peerzada was punched in his ear following

which he had to undergo a surgery. Police sources said that the name of Appanna cropped up in the case after he was identified in a CCTV footage. He was seen accompanying Pomersbach to the room of the victim. Police sources said the 23-year-old left-arm spinner denied that he tried to force into the room of Hamid and Peerzada as alleged. He also denied the allegations that he threatened Hamid to withdraw the case against Pomersbach, they said. However, sources claimed he told police that he accompanied Pomersbach when he went to the victims room for the second time. A senior police official earlier said they had examined the CCTV footages and identified Appanna. We had spoken to him earlier. Now, his statement has been recorded, the official said. Hamid had alleged that some team members of Luke had pressurised her to withdraw the case against Pomersbach. On Appanna, a senior police official said, We have examined the CCTV footages and identified Appanna. We have spoken to him. We are yet to formally question him. Appanna, who plays for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy, could Appanna, who plays for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy, could not be contacted for his comments. On the sequence of events, the official said, when the alleged incident took place there were five persons Peerzada, Hamid, Sahils friends Moiz and Miraj, and Pomersbach. Pomersbach returned to the victims room after he allegedly misbehaved with her. When Pomersbach came for the second time,

Appanna was with him, the official said. Appanna had come to ask whether Sidhartha was there in the room, the official said, adding Hamid had also corroborated it. Investigators said they have also recorded the statement of Peerzadas friend Moiz. Asked about Hamids allegations that Pomersbachs teammates were pressurising her to withdraw the complaint, the official said police was not ruling out the possibility. Meanwhile, Peerzada was today discharged from hospital. He claimed that he had asked Pomersbach to leave his hotel room after he allegedly molested his fiancee but they got into a brawl when the cricketer punched him. I am feeling a little unwell, Peerzada, a modelturned Mumbai businessman, told reporters. He (Pomersbach) misbehaved with her (Zohal). Thats it. I politely asked him to leave. He did not, he said. Detailing the sequence of events, Peerzada claimed that the cricketer invited him to his room but he declined as he was tired. He followed us to our room. My friend opened the door. We went inside and within five minutes time, if I am not wrong, he misbehaved. And you know, how the guys are like. I asked him politely, Luke, please leave. He did not and pushed me. So thats how the brawl happened, he told Headlines Today. Asked whether his friends who were in the room retaliated when he was punched allegedly by Pomersbach, he said, yes, they did. We got into a fight. That thing happened. Its the guys thing, you know, he said.

victim of being all over him

Mallya Jr accuses molestation

After initially claiming he had no knowledge of the incident, Sidhartha Mallya tweeted that the victim of molestation was being idiotic.
FP Staff, May 18, 2012

ithin hours of first saying he had no clue what happened regarding allegations that cricketer Luke Pomersbach had molested a woman, Sidhartha Mallya took to Twitter to defend his teams player and speak about the victims character. When confronted by reporters this morning, Mallya who is Director, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, said that he was not fully aware of what had happened and what Pomersbach was accused of doing. We regret the incident that has happened and we will co-operate with the relevant authori-

ties, he said. His initial statements on Twitter were as contrite. One hour ago: I woke up this morning with 100+ messages regarding lukeI still dont know what went on he tweeted. However, within half an hour Mallyas seemed to have remembered the woman, who filed the case against Pomersbach. It may have helped that the womans face wasnt blurred on some news channels while speaking to them.

The girl who is accusing Luke is saying he hit her fiancewhat a load of f****** s***. She was all over me last night and asked for me bbm pin, so if he was her fiance she wasnt exactly behaving like a future wife, he tweeted.

enjoy the crickethas everyone forgotten chris 100 last night? If luke is in the wrong, then trust me he will face the necessary sanctions. But what this girl is doing is idiotic. He later attempted to justify his tweets during an interview with CNN IBN. The lady was so inebriated and acting the way she was with all of us was a little strange, Mallya said. All I am saying was that my tweets were in response to what I saw in the news. I havent spoken to him (Luke) yet. Last night the state she was in and the friendliness she was displaying it is surprising then that she would make these allegations, he said. Mallya said being the owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore he was very protective of the team and its players but said Pomersbach will face the necessary sanctions.

Everyone wants their 15 minuets (sic), he added. He went on to tweet: First SRK, now thiseveryone loves a good scandal. Why cant ppl just

about ladys conduct: Mallya

Mallya also feels that the recent sting operation, the brawl at Wankhede involving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan wont affect the brand IPL.

Sidhartha tweeted his impressions

PTI, May 18, 2012 Asked whether he had a chance to speak to Luke Pomersbach, Mallya senior said, No I havent. This could have been probably one of the late night brawls. But we at RCB has always said that law should take its own course. Mallya also feels that the recent sting operation, the brawl at Wankhede involving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and this Pomersbach episode wont affect the brand IPL. Absolutely not. All sorts of incidents happen. There are doping incidents in Olympics. There are brawls galore in football matches in European leagues which continue to be extremely popular. For me, Chris Gayles innings was a spectacular one. Mallya, however, made it clear that Pomersbach wont play till the investigations are on.

ew Delhi: Defending his son Sidharthas remarks on the woman allegedly molested by an Australian player Luke Pomersbach that have drawn widespread criticism, RCB owner Vijay Mallya said he is not a child and has tweeted his impressions about the ladys conduct. He is not a child. He can defend himself. He said what he said. Twitter is a global forum and he has been tweeting for a while and he has his set of followers, Mallya senior told NDTV when asked whether his sons tweets were appropriate. Seeking to question the character of the woman Zohal Hamid, Sidhartha had tweeted, She was all over me last night and asked for my BBM (Blackberry Messenger) pin, so if he was her fiance, she wasnt exactly behaving like a future wife.

IPL molestation case:

Police questions KP Appanna
Cricketer KP Appanna had accompanied Pomersbach to the victims room almost an hour after the incident allegedly to check if team owner Sidhartha Mallya was also involved in the incident.
FP Staff, May 21, 2012

ittle known left-arm spinner KP Appanna has been identified as the cricketer who accompanied Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer Luke Pomersbach to a womans room almost an hour after the Australian cricketer had allegedly molested the woman and assaulted her fiance.

had gone to the womans room to check if team owner Sidhartha Mallya was also involved in the incident. Curiously enough, Mallya is facing legal troubles of his own over the incident after tweeting about the victims character claiming she was all over him at the post-IPL match party and was being idiotic by filing a case against Pomersbach. The victim had sent a legal notice to Mallya seeking an apology. Appanna has played seven matches in this years IPL in which he took six wickets. The woman has also reportedly filed a complaint alleging that foreign players from the Royal Challengers Bangalore team had threatened her and asked her to withdraw the case against their teammate.

Statements by a hotel security guard, the victim and security camera footage have revealed that Appanna and Pomersbach went to the womans room during the early hours of 18 May, the Indian Express reported. Appanna has reportedly told the police that he

She had filed a case of assault and outraging the modesty of a woman against Pomersbach. Pomersbach is now reportedly in Mumbai and could be called back for further questioning in the case. The Australian cricketer was granted bail by a Delhi court on Saturday but was asked to submit his passport to the court.

Luke Pomersbachs colourful history

Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach, who plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, was arrested for allegedly molesting an American woman.
FP Staff, May 18, 2012 ustralian cricketer Luke Pomersbach, who plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian premier League (IPL), was arrested today for allegedly molesting an American woman and severely beating up her fiance at the Delhi five-star hotel, the Maurya Sheraton. This, however, is not the first incident of the cricketers misdeeds. Heres a look at the 27-year-olds not-so-great past: In November 2007, Pomersbach and fellow Western Warrior Shaun Marsh were suspended from the state side for consuming alcohol following a game against Queensland.

On 9 August 2009, after two hit-and-run incidents, Pomersbach was arrested and charged by police. He was charged for driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of .08, assaulting a public officer, obstructing police and escaping legal custody. Pomersbach pleaded guilty and was fined and his drivers licence was cancelled. The Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) responded by suspending him indefinitely. The 27-year-olds latest behaviour has prompted RCB owner Vijay Mallya to suspend the batsman, who has not played a single IPL match so far this season, till he is cleared of the charges.

Spot Fixing

Spot-fixing in IPL:
Five cricketers suspended
The five cricketers - TP Sudhindra (Deccan), Mohnish Mishra (Pune), Amit Yadav (Punjab), Shalabh Srivastav (Punjab) and Abhinav Bali - will remain suspended from all cricketing activities pending the investigation, the BCCI said.
Reuters, May 16, 2012

umbai: Five uncapped Indian cricketers have been provisionally suspended following allegations of corruption in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Tuesday. The BCCI has also ordered a probe into the accusations, made by a local television channel. The president BCCI has immediately appointed Ravi Sawani (former head of ICC anti-corruption and security Unit) as the commissioner to make a preliminary enquiry, the BCCI said in a statement. The five cricketers TP Sudhindra (Deccan), Mohnish Mishra (Pune), Amit Yadav (Punjab), Shalabh Srivastav (Punjab) and Abhinav Bali will remain suspended from all cricketing activities pending the investigation, the BCCI said. Out of the five cricketers, Bali has not played in any of IPLs five editions. Footage from India TV appeared to show an IPL player negotiating a fee for bowling a no-ball, while another said he received under-the-table payments above his contracted fee. Each of the nine franchises has a salary cap and

the player in question has not been capped by the national team, meaning he cannot be paid more than Rs 3 million according to IPL rules. The BCCI had sought complete footage of the sting operation from the channel and later had a teleconference with the IPL governing council this afternoon where the decisions were taken. Last year, Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were jailed in Britain for their role in a spot-fixing scandal relating to a Test match against England at Lords in August 2010. The spot-fixing scam, which shook the cricketing world, came to light after a British newspaper recorded sports agent Mazhar Majeed boasting of how he could arrange for players to rig elements of matches for money. The International Cricket Council subsequently banned the three players for a minimum of five years. A series of scandals has tarnished the image of the cash-rich IPL, which boasts of a host of celebrity owners including Indias richest man Mukesh Ambani, spirits and airline magnate Vijay Mallya and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.

you cant watch sport

Match fixing scandal: Without trust,

Despite the fact that the IPL sting has raised the ugly doubt of match fixing again, you cant enjoy a sport unless you trust the fact that your heroes on the field are giving it their all.
Ashish Magotra, May 15, 2012

few days back, Manchester City won a very exciting match to claim the English Premiership title. They scored two goals in injury title to snatch the title from Manchester United one of the goals was from virtually the last kick of the game. Now, what was your reaction to that? Were you in the Great match, Epic Game category or did you immediately shout Fixed? Sport, at a very basic level, is about trust. You have to trust the fact that your heroes on the field are giving it their all because without that trust you will doubt every move they make. How can sport survive that? A lot of people on Twitter were even doubting the close finishes in the IPL. But heres what I think: You cant watch sport without trust. Because if you are a cynic, then every play will seem fixed and every shot will seem scripted. That is the nature of sport and Twenty20 is a topsy-turvy format, said Ayaz Memon. I mean last night Sachin Tendulkar got out first ball against Zaheer Khan it was a dolly. It you start thinking cynically, there is no end to it.

So what is the solution to this? There is so much at stake money, players, lives and even more; and unless something concrete is done, we will see this problem raise its head over and over again. One of the first things that need to be done is to appoint an ombudsman, who will look into all the problems in a fair manner. There is a need to be transparent in their dealings. There has been rigging in the stock market which is why the SEBI was established, Ayaz said. The governance has to be very strong. The ethos of sport largely cricket in India was largely socialistic. In the sense, that Sachin Tendulkar would get paid the same as a rookie to play a Test match. But the IPL is captalistic and that is why the BCCI needs to make sure that good prevails. A few corrupt players cant bring down the whole edifice. Watch the entire Sportstalk discussion between sports editor Ashish Magotra and Ayaz Memon above.

IPL spot-fixing scandal:

channel stands by sting operation
Facing the threat of legal action from cricketers shown in the sting operation, the news channel which aired it said the content shown was authentic.
FP Staff, May 15, 2012 day after airing a sting operation showing four Indian cricketers seeking money allegedly to switch teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and for spot fixing, the news channel which conducted it refuted allegations that any of the material had been doctored and stood by its authenticity. Rajat Sharma, Editor-in-chief of news channel India TV, said the channel had no doubts about the authenticity of the sting operation and prepared to go to court. When asked about one of the cricketers alleging that his voice had been doctored and threatening legal action, he said If any of the cricketers take us to court then we will face it happily. Sharma said they had offered money to over a dozen cricket players, after which they have aired the clips of cricketers, who had offered to take money to either switch teams or for spot fixing in matches. He denied that any of the famous cricketers had been found guilty of seeking money from the channels reporters who had posed as agents. As far as I know the big players in IPL are clean. This is possibly since they have already made enough money, he said.

While conducting the sting operation, Sharma said they had come across three cricketers who had refused to take money from the reporters and said it was a heartening thing. He also said there was no more footage to be shown by the channel as part of this sting operation conducted using hidden cameras. No more footage is there, whatever we had we have shown, Sharma said. The India TV chief said he hoped cricket players will be more careful in the future and the Indian cricket boards anti-corruption unit had an idea of what was happening and took action accordingly. The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has sought the footage of the sting operation from the channel and has promised stringent action against those found guilty, he said. In a sting operation aired on the channel yesterday, four cricketers had been caught on camera offering to switch teams for money and for spot fixing. The cricketers have denied accepting money for match fixing and one of them has said he would take the channel to court.

Why do sting operations

target only small-towners?
The trend in Indian stings seems to be to target the easy meat. Whether it is India TV, Cobrapost or Tehelka, the bulk of the victims seem to be smalltown, possibly semi-literate, and vulnerable types. But there are no big fish ever caught in the net.
G Pramod Kumar, May 17, 2012

ho are TP Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra, Amit Yadav, Shalabh Shrivastava, and Abhinav Bali?

The channel doesnt have any more material to take the story forward. End of story! The targets do not seem to know what exactly happened because a small-towner joining the big league and big icons usually bring home a lot of fibs, gossip and loud talk. This is smalltown heroism. One has seen this a lot among people working in the movies. If one stings those talking heads, one can get a channel-full of salacious material. Even Murdoch wouldnt say that sting operations and wire-tapping are done for public service than for selling more issues. But then, it is such a pity that it comes at the cost of the under-privileged and the minions and not the big guys. Whether it happens in London with a villager called Mohammed Amir or in Lucknow with an uncapped IPL 15th man, these operations are essentially exploitative of the underclass the vulnerable ones who are effectively induced into a money or honey-trap. Perhaps to match up to the inducements, the poor chaps talk big and drop names to look big so that they get a little more money. Will we see a sting operation that traps real big people doing real big things? Say an IPL-owner

Till yesterday, many of us probably didnt know who they were until a TV channel showed us a sting operation. They were cricketers and play for IPL teams. But we havent seen them or heard them much because they are the cattle-class of luxury-cricket who are paid some pittance to sit on a bench. When the TV channel that is distinctively identifiable for the taste of programmes it airs, said spot-fixing and IPL, one thought it wont disappoint this time. But it was the same story yet again: some small town unsuspecting guys talking big on stealth camera (and a bit of cricket). One cannot make out if the guys, perhaps disgruntled by sitting on the bench for too long, are bragging, or, what they are saying is real. The sting didnt lead us anywhere. If it is real, then there is something wrong the names one of the sting-victims drops are big including an IPL owner. So one would expect the BCCI to investigate. Instead, they do what we have seen for the nth time. Sack the small-towners. Predictably, the poor guys say they are innocent.

flying in a private jet and handing over money under the table? Nah, no chance. Weaklings are the favourites of the opportunistic stings in other spheres of public life as well. For instance, in 2005, 11 backbench MPs were caught on camera taking money to ask questions in Parliament. All obscure guys. Congress lost just one MP while all the others were from the Opposition. And what about the Tehelka operation that trapped Bangaru Laxman? Same story. A Dalit leader heading the BJP, he lost his political life and landed himself a jail term. In films, it was a TV actor and a low-weight Shakti Kapoor who appeared to have fallen for

the honey-trap without suspecting the presence of a camera. Similar stories get frequently repeated in countless local channels. The trend in Indian stings, which have become as common as the Chinese pen-mounted cameras, seems to be to target the easy meat. Whether it is India TV, Cobrapost or Tehelka, the bulk of the victims seem to be small-town, possibly semi-literate, and vulnerable types. But there are no big fish ever caught in the net. How are these sting operations any different from the scandal videos that one shoots with unsuspecting sex-partners? Do they achieve any purpose other than creating an aimless sensation and spoiling the lives of weak, smalltown fellows?

Match-fixing sting: should

IPL do away with spending cap?
Are teams paying players salaries that are in violation of the IPL restrictions and is it the poor deal that players are getting that drives them towards match fixing?
FP Staff, May 15, 2012 hile the India TV sting has raised questions about match fixing and spot fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) it also raises questions about the salary cap on the teams, when it comes to spending on players, particularly domestic ones, and if the allegations of match fixing in the now defunct Indian Cricket League were well founded. The news channels reporters, who posed as player managers and agents looking to recruit for IPL franchisees, met with the cricketers

some of whom claimed the IPL teams were paying them more than the specified salary cap. Rs 1.2 crore was paid to me by Pune in black, Mohnish Mishra said. And when asked if it was a known fact, the batsman said,Yes, everybody knows. If the organisers didnt know, then this wouldnt be happening. But why not just pay the player directly? Because the IPL has a fixed spending cap of $9 million for each of the team owners for each season.

And the scheme particularly is not favourable for domestic cricketers who have never played for the Indian team since the amount that can be paid for them has already been capped. Since the teams cannot pay more than the Rs 30 lakh salary limit IPL governing body has fixed, they could be paying players through endorsements or in cash as claimed by Mishra to hold on to good local talent. It isnt like its an unknown fact. A DNA report points out how Chris Gayle of the Royal Challengers Bangalore is officially being paid just $6,50,000 which is less than what even someone like Ravindra Jadeja is getting paid, but then he receives a total of $5 million thanks to endorsements and other deals. The Indian Express in a report today points out that three of the four cricketers snared in the sting by India TV are former players of the Indian Cricket League and even the same team. TP Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra and Shalabh Srivastava were all members of the Delhi Giants team in the now non-existent cricket league and were taken into domestic cricket and the IPL as part of the amenesty scheme offered by the BCCI. That the players happen to be from the Indian

Cricket League is only another taint on the cricketing league. New Zealand all rounder Chris Cairns accused two of his teammates of spot fixing and when accused of the same, sued and won a case of libel against former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. Two of the players, Sudhindra and Srivastava, are alleged to have expressed willingness to indulge in spot fixing of matches and bowl noballs in exchange for money. Sudhindra, who had a good 2011-12 season in the Ranji trophy and ended up its highest wicket taker, also took money to bowl a no-ball in an Indore cricket league game. While greed seems an obvious reason for the alleged spot-fixing, is it perhaps time the BCCI examines the measures it has taken to prevent match fixing? And given this sting operation is it now time to do away with the salary cap given it doesnt look like its being followed? Should players be paid as per their talent and teams be made to make a full disclosure of the payments they are making to players? While individual instances of greed may be difficult to completely wipe out, some much needed transparency can be brought to the cricketing league and will prevent it from being tainted by them.

The not so rave Party

held at drug-laced rave

The IPLs season of horrors continues. After Shah Rukh Khans meltdown and the molestation charge against an RCB player, two Pune Warriors players were detained in a drug bust in Mumbai.
FP Staff, May 21, 2012 he IPLs season of horrors continues. After Shah Rukh Khans meltdown in Mumbai and the charges of molestation against a Royal Challengers Bangalore player, the latest scandal involves two players who were detained after a rave party in Mumbai on Sunday. Late on Sunday, two IPL players, one of them a foreigner, who belong to the Pune Warriors team were among about 100 people detained

2 IPL players among 100

after a rave party at Hotel Oakwoods in Juhu at which cocaine and other drugs were used. PTI reported that police sources had declined to identify the players, saying that medical tests were being conducted to establish if the players had themselves used banned drugs. But The Telegraph reported, quoting a Mumbai police source, that the two players were Wayne Parnell and Rahul Sharma.

Wayne Parnell and Rahul Sharma of Pune Warriors were picked up after we busted a rave party in a hotel, The Telgraph report quoted the police source as saying. They were detained for questioning. Their blood and urine samples were also taken to test whether they had consumed any drugs. They were let off after twoand-a-half hours. They may be called back if the samples test positive. Rahul Sharma, however, said that while he was present at Oakwoods hotel on Sunday, he was attending a different party. I went for a birthday party at Oakwoods hotel in Juhu. I had just reached there but nobody was present. I am right now going to my room, he said. The Telegraph report quoted Sharma as saying that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I had been invited to attend a birthday party at the hotel by a friends friend, the report quoted Sharma as saying. As I went in around 8.45pm at the restaurant, I saw police everywhere. They called me, asked me a few routine questions, took my samples and let me off. I am not scared because I have not done anything wrong. Parnell, it noted, was unavailable for comment. The newspaper also claimed that among those detained were a celebrity fashion designer well

known for his association with Bollywood, and an NCP leaders relative. In addition, the boyfriend of a Kolkata-based actress and a DJ were among those detained, it added. Following the late-night raid, Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nagre Patil said that about 110 grams of cocaine had been seized along with other popular drugs like ecstasy, and charas. Some 58 boys and 38 girls were detained and sent to hospital for a blood and urine test, he added. A case would be registered against those who tested positive for drug use, he said. We will do a proper investigation into who organised the party and who were the drug peddlers, Patil said. The Times of India reports that among those detained were also children of celebrities. It noted that the police would lodge cases under two heads: one for possession and the other for consumption of proscribed drugs. The raid was organised around 8 pm following a tip-off from a decoy who had been sent to the party. Officials said they had recorded the statements and contact details of those detained. With inputs from PTI

high profile guests identified

The IPLs season of horrors continues. After Shah Rukh Khans meltdown and the molestation charge against an RCB player, two Pune Warriors players were detained in a drug bust in Mumbai.
FP Staff, May 21, 2012

Mumbai rave party: Woman who invited

umbai: City police today claimed to have identified a woman suspected to have invited high profile guests and IPL players at the rave party busted on Sunday night at a suburban Juhu hotel. The lady who had invited guests has been identified and will soon be called for questioning, said a senior police officer of Juhu police station. However, he did not reveal the name of the woman. Meanwhile, the two Disc Jockeys were grilled for the third consecutive day and their statements recorded.

The duo told police that they have a huge fan following and that the patrons came in large numbers at the parties in which they played music. Police are verifying the antecedents of the DJs. Their music intruments have also been seized because the hotel management had not obtained permission to hold the party at the hotel. Among the guests were a late film producers relative and son of a former cricketer, police sources said. Police today recorded statements of ten guests and initiated procedures to suspend the hotels licence because the hotel had not obtained permission from the authorities to hold the party.

The Disc Jockeys of Designer Hippies, Romeo and Deepesh Sharma, both brothers, were again Earlier too, the hotel had organised some pargrilled today for the third day in succession after ties wihout permission, police sources said. which the police recorded their statements.

in police custody till 25 May

Police have arrested one, Vijay Vishesh Handa, who they say organised the party. The party was reportedly promoted on Facebook.
FP Staff, May 21, 2012

Organiser of Mumbai rave

he organizer of a Mumbai rave that was busted by the police in Mumbai on Sunday, has been sent to judicial custody till 25 May. According to an NDTV report, Handa has been charged under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. According to the report, invitations for the party were sent out via Facebook. The police claim that a message was posted on the site which said, Support the party, not the drug. About 100 people were arrested at Hotel Oakwoods in Juhu, where cocaine and other drugs were also found. According to police, Around 58 boys and 38 girls were detained and taken to a hospital for blood and urine check-up after a rave party was

busted in Juhu late Sunday. However, police refused to confirm whether the players were involved in consuming drugs at the party. This could only be clarified after the results of the medical examination, the official said. Police have seized around 110 grams of cocaine and over 100 grams of other restricted drugs from the party. The cricketers were released on personal bonds. Other detainees will be released soon after the medical examination results arrive, police said. The raid, supervised by Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil, was conducted at the Oakwood Premier hotel near Juhu beach. With inputs from IANS

Didnt consume drugs,

confident of being proven innocent: Parnell
The cricketer said he had attended another party at the hotel organised by friends. Parnell denied that he or Indian cricketer Rahul Sharma had consumed narcotics at the party.
FP Staff, May 21, 2012

outh African cricketer Wayne Parnell today denied that he was present at a rave party when detained by the police in Mumbai on Sunday saying he was leaving another party which he attended with friends, and denied consuming any narcotics. We werent aware of any drugs there and it

wasnt any rave party. It was just unfortunate that were there, Parnell told Times Now. Parnell and Indian cricketer Rahul Sharma were detained by the police after a raid on a hotel in Juhu. The police had said a rave party had been held at the Oakwoods Hotel in Juhu in which around 100 persons had been detained and

narcotics seized. The South African cricketer said he had gone to the hotel along with Sharma to attend the birthday party of a friend. The party was held on the roof of the hotel by a swimming pool and no drugs were consumed, the cricketer said. He had met the organisers of the party during last years IPL tournament and had been in touch since then. Among those present at the party included models and others the cricketer said he didnt know. They just said it was one of their friends birthday so we went there to meet them, he said, adding that since the IPL was over they had decided to attend the party. Parnells team Pune Warriors has been elimi-

nated from this years playoffs. Parnell said he and Sharma were on their way out of the hotel when they were detained by the police for questioning and made to undergo blood and urine tests. Unfortunate its being called a rave party but we know its just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, he said. Parnell said that the incident wasnt an indication of a previous drug habit since he was a professional athlete and was regularly tested for consumption of drugs and performance enhancing medication. I am sure that nothing will show in blood and urine tests, he said, adding that he and Sharma had been extending all co-operation to the police and would continue to do so.

SRK hogs the limelight

Punish SRK for what hes worth

Shah Rukh must be punished. He must be punished not because he is star. Not even because he is an owner but simply to show that the law/rules are the same for everyone regardless of their stature.
Ashish Magotra, May 17, 2012 Money, money, money Must be funny In the rich mans world Money, money, money Always sunny In the rich mans world Money, Money, Money by Abba Shah Rukh Khan is an intelligent guy. His press conferences are fun. He cracks jokes, makes people laugh and can generally charm his way out of trouble. Thats the kind of guy he is. But then again, the actors scuffle with Mumbai Cricket Association officials post the IPL game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians paints a very different picture; a picture of a man who believes that as an egoistic owner of an IPL team, he can get away with anything on the cricket ground.

Now, many will ask: So, which one is the real Shah Rukh? Is it the one who smiles adoringly in ads or is it the one who gets drunk and brawls in a public space? I say, it doesnt matter who the real Shah Rukh is. What does matter however is whether he is punished for his misdeeds or not. If a cricketer or a fan had got into a drunken brawl by now, they would have been suspended or dumped in jail. So why does Shah Rukh get special treatment? Is it because he is an owner? Or is it because he is a star and the rules that govern us mortals dont exist for him? The IPL has in the past allowed the owners to get away with almost anything. Remember the incident where Ravindra Jadeja was banned from the IPL for a whole season by the governing council for breaching player regulations. Jadejas crime was that he tried to negotiate a larger financial contract with some of the other IPL franchises. Now, Jadeja got a ban. But all the other IPL franchises went scot free. Why? Preity Zinta almost charged onto the field to tell the umpires how to do their job. Action taken against her: nothing. Why?

There have been numerous other indiscretions on part of the IPL owners/franchisees, the latest being the ones revealed by the TV sting which lad to five players being suspended pending an investigation. Now, nothing was proved against these players but they were suspended. But the owners, the ones allegedly supplying all that black money, were not even bothered let alone suspended. Why? BCCI president N Srinivasan, who also masquerades as the owner of one of the IPL teams, simply said: All the franchisees have people of stature behind it. It will be wrong to presume they are doing something wrong and then make enquiries. So in essence, it is wrong to presume that the owners did anything wrong but it is OKAY to do the same with the players because they dont have the same stature. The words do stink and that is precisely why Shah Rukh must be punished. He must be punished not because he is star. Not even because he is an owner but simply to show that the law/ rules are the same for everyone regardless of their stature.

Bal Thackeray slams SRK

for misdemeanour
The MCA on Friday slapped a ban for five years on Shah Rukh from entering the Wankhede Stadium over his alleged bad behaviour.
IANS, May 19, 2012

umbai: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray Saturday criticised Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for what he termed was his misdemeanour at the Wankhede Stadium Wednesday night and backed the Mumbai Cricket Associations (MCA) decision to ban him from the stadium for five years.

asked him to follow rules, he threatened to bury him alive. What kind of language is this? Thackeray asked. Thackeray also appreciated the five-year ban on Shah Rukhs entry to the Wankhede Stadum and said that a lifetime ban should be imposed on him. The Shiv Sena supremo said that ban was reduced to five years due to pressure from New Delhi. If pressure comes from Delhi, it will be further reduced to five minutes, he quipped. The MCA on Friday slapped a ban for five years on Shah Rukh from entering the Wankhede Stadium over his alleged bad behaviour at the stadium. Shah Rukh, the co-owner of Indian Premier league (IPl) team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), had allegedly misbehaved with security personnel and MCA officials Wednesday night. Shah Rukh claimed the security guards manhandled the children he had brought to the stadium, which provoked him to protest.

Lashing out at Shah Rukh Khan in his party mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray said Shah Rukh was insulted several times by the US security officials, but he kept quiet then. He did not lose his cool there, but when a poor security guard

Real, raw and tragic

The ugly spectacle in Wankhede reveals a Bollywood mega-star losing control of his life, his image, his career and not because of arrogance or entitlement, but age. But does any of us really care?
Lakshmi Chaudhry & Sandip Roy, May 18, 2012 e bewada, calls out an anonymous voice from the crowd, carrying high and clear over the chatter. An enraged Shah Rukh Khan yells right back, Tu peeche se mat bolna samne se aake bol ae peeli shirt **** yahin gaad doonga. (Dont talk to me from back there. Come in front of me, you yellow shirt. I will bury you right here.) Its a telling moment in the unfolding fracas in Wankhede Stadium, but not because it offers definitive proof of guilt. The Indian Express audio recording doesnt tell us whether SRK was indeed drunk or if his children were manhandled. What it reveals is more damning: King

SRKs midlife meltdown:

Khan having a complete emotional meltdown. It would be a mistake to dismiss this as just another celebrity brawling badly a la Saif or Sallu and their bad boy antics. This is a Bollywood megastar losing control of his life, his image, his career and not because of arrogance or entitlement, but age. Shah Rukh is having a gigantic midlife crisis in front of the entire world. The first public sign of trouble came during an emotional, rambling interview with Barkha Dutt last October. Gone was the funny, confident, cheerful SRK we all knew and loved. In his place was a man unsure of himself and his place in the world, alienated, angry and hurt.

The interview reads like an extended rant against everyone who complains he does the same thing, doesnt get his humour, claims I am detached and I lie. But far more startling is the naked confession of his emotional isolation and neediness: Its not a nice thing to say I prefer talking to my kids now, then the dogs, but I love my dogs. When I talk to my daughter I hold her hand. I told her you know I feel that I dont have any friends. Then she says so and so is your friend. But then I say not that kind of a friend. She likes you. I say yeah, she likes me but I dont have a friend. Then I look at her and say would you be my friend? But she says Papa I am your daughter. And I told her please be my friend also. Then finally she agreed, so okay I will be your friend and lets watch what we were watching, so it makes me feel nice. Also notable: Bollywoods most famously devoted husband does not mention his wife, Gauri. Not even in passing. Over the course of the interview, he displays all the classic signs of a midlife crisis: a sullen depression, tendency to blame others, confusion about his career, and above all, the curious insistence that hes still young at heart. It would be a mistake to dismiss this as just another celebrity brawling badly. PTI Any doubts about his malady were removed by the release of Ra.One which was immediately dubbed SRKs most expensive midlife crisis. And not of the useful kind. He could have bought a Ferrari, got a nose job, inked a tattoo or coloured his hair. Yet, Shah Rukh Khan chose to pierce his nipples, play a Tam Brahm, and grab Arjun Rampals crotch, wrote film critic Nandini Krishnan. That SRK has been earnestly battling Father Time is hardly a secret to anyone whose watched his morphing face and body. The absurdly black hair, the newly chiseled nose and jawline, skin that grows lighter with each passing year, and of course the eight-pack. But these are fruits of a decision taken years ago, when faced with with the big Four-Oh, Khan chose to turn himself into a toy boy.

His most avid fans were more prescient, smelling trouble way before the rest of us. Heres Deepti Lamba on PlanetSRK back in 2007: But today, while watching him gyrate in a song from the soon-to-be-released movie Om Shanti Om, his glam seemed to slip from my eyes. He didnt seem to be the Shah Rukh I was familiar with Where was the sturdy, aging with grace Shah Rukh that I had known for over two decades? This new Shah Rukh Khan all of a sudden seemed like a swan that had reverted back to being an ugly duckling in his middling years. Could Shah Rukh be suffering from mid life crisis? Could this new get up be his last attempts at trying to out-shine the contemporary macho young actors like John Abraham, Ajay Devgan and Vivek Oberoi? My heart went out to the poor fellow. Could it be that Shah Rukh knows deep within his heart that his time as one of the reigning Pashas of Bollywood will soon be up? Why else would he try to regain his youth?

In many ways, SRK may have fared better if more people had shared Lambas reaction. Or if he had treated Om Shanti Om as a one-off role, as Aamir did with Ghajni. Instead its success sent him down the alluring garden path that has now run smack into the Ra.One dead end. Going young is never a viable long-term solution to growing old. But at least part of this blunder can be blamed on a Bollywood culture that values movie stars more as a brand now than as an actor. Shah Rukh Khan is a superstar of India Inc. In an era where a stars value is measured by his endorsements, his youth connect becomes all im-

portant. As Times of India notes, SRK has not signed any new big brand names over the past two years, and lost juicy contracts like Pepsi to younger stars like Ranbir Kapoor. Meanwhile other contemporaries like Aamir Khan seem to be charting out new frontiers for themselves, skilfully avoiding the Peter Pan trap. What you are seeing is something that a lot of stars have gone through. Its a transitional phase which all celebrities go through; while some bow out gracefully, some do not. It is an inevitable shift of power and it has not been a smooth ride for him, brand guru Santosh Desai told TOI. It has, in fact, been a spectacularly rocky ride for him. His increasing frustration is playing out in the form of public brawling be it at a party with Shirish Kundra or on the sidelines of Wankhede stadium. None of which helps a brand built on playing Mr. Nice Guy, unlike say a Salman dabangg Khan. Even his rumoured romantic entanglement with a much younger adoring actress, of course adds to the sense of a life spinning out of control. The rumoured affair with Priyanka Chopra doesnt read like a Bollywood mega-stud enjoying his due, but as a middle-aged man ruining his family life with an unseemly public dalliance.

SRKs greatest asset has always been his everyman quality. Even for those who disdained his onscreen hamming, he was the quintessential success story we could all cheer for the not-sogood looking outsider without Bollywood lineage, who made it to the top, powered by sheer chutzpah and perfect dimples. As Lamba says, My love for Shah Rukh was nostalgic. He was a good Delhi boy who had come up the hard way, married his young love, had a beautiful family, loved to play on his Xbox and didnt give a rats ass about the Bachchan and Rai families. In the wake of Ra.One, some critics charged that SRK had transformed himself from everyman to Plastic Man. But the real tragedy of Shah Rukh Khans mid life crisis is that it painfully proves that hes still like the rest of us. In fact its alarming how eerily his life mirrors the textbook Are you having a mid-life crisis checklist to a T. If Ra.One was the supersized rich mans bauble designed to stave off middle age, the Wankhede meltdown is its dark, plebian twin. This Shah Rukh is all too real, completely messed up and utterly lost. But in Bollywoods hall of mirrors can anyone really see that? More importantly, do we care enough to do so?

Newest idol for Shiv Sena, MNS: stadium guard who took on SRK
Maharashtras regional parties are in a race to felicitate Wankhede stadium guard Vikas Dalvi for standing up to actor Shah Rukh Khan and speaking only in Marathi while doing so.
FP Staff, May 23, 2012

hah Rukh Khan may have been banned from entering the Wankhede stadium but for Maharashtras regional parties thats hardly an issue and they are currently falling over each other to felicitate stadium guard Vikas Dalvi for his courage to stand up to the actor.

Bravo! Staunch Marathi, greetings. You teach a lesson to aggressive and rude Shah Rukh Khan, says the poster, which features the photo of Dalvi and is not surprisingly in Marathi. Regional party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is also in the race to claim Dalvi as their own, reportedly because he retorted only in Marathi even while the actor abused him in Hindi. The MNS, incidentally, last hit headlines over their campaigns on outsiders (read migrants) entering the city of Mumbai. We heard that while interacting with Shah Rukh Khan, Dalvi stuck to his mother tongue and spoke only in Marathi. He did his job well and such bravery needs to be acknowledged, a Mid-day report quoted MNS party activist Arvind Tawde as saying. After the IPL match between his team, the Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians on 17 May, Khan got into a verbal spat with the security guards at Mumbais Wankhede stadium. Mumbai Cricket Association officials also got involved in the fracas and later filed an FIR against the actor. Khan was also banned from attending matches at the stadium for five years, a decision that has still to be reviewed by the Indian cricket board. The actor has claimed that the stadiums guards manhandled his children and abused him due to which he had got into an argument with them.

While few beyond those who work in the stadium might know him, Dalvi has found posters featuring him put up by the Shiv Sena, lauding him for his good work. According to a report in the DNA newspaper, the party has put up posters across Mumbai praising Dalvi, for putting up a brave front against Khan despite a tongue lashing from the actor.

Ex-cricketers join the party

Shah Rukh fiasco a ploy by BCCI

to hide spot fixing issue: Kirti Azad
The actor and cricket officials were locked in a row at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, with each side accusing the other of misbehaviour after the Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians.
PTI, May 17, 2012 ew Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad on Thursday came in support of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, saying cricket officials were targeting him to divert attention from the IPL spot fixing issue.

BCCI has double standards, its a diabolical situation. Why does the board want a police probe (against) the actor? he asked. The actor and cricket officials were locked in a row at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, with each side accusing the other of misbehaviour after the Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians. Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya, also an MP, said Shah Rukh was a very well behaved man. I know Shah Rukh from a long time, he is exceptionally well behaved. Shah Rukh is very passionate and enthusiastic about his team. Former railway minister Lalu Prasad said: We should listen to Shah Rukhs version also before jumping to conclusions.

First, its hard to believe Shah Rukh was drunk. I think this is a ploy by the BCCI to hide the spot fixing issue, Azad said of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Azad adopts Annas tactics;

begins fast against IPL

Former India cricketer Kirti Azad today began a fast, demanding that the Indian Premier League, which has been a hit by a series of controversies, be scrapped.
PTI, May 20, 2012

ew Delhi: Former India cricketer Kirti Azad today began a fast, demanding that the Indian Premier League, which has been a hit by a series of controversies, be scrapped. Azad, who is also a BJP leader, began the hunger strike outside the Feroz Shah Kotla ground here. All those who are watching, I have a question. Shouldnt there be transparency? There is too much of politics in sports. I only hope that there is some sportsmanship in politics, Azad said while addressing the gathering. Cricket is a religion in our country but it hurts when I get to know that youngsters want to play in IPL and not for the country, he added.

Another former cricketer Vivek Razdan was also present at the venue. Five domestic uncapped Indian players were suspended by the BCCI when a sting operation by a private TV channel implicated them in spot-fixing. Within days of that, Kolkata Knight Riders coowner Shah Rukh Khan was involved in a brawl with the Maharashtra Cricket Association officials at the Wankhede stadium and was banned by the MCA from the entering the facility for five years. After that, Royal Challengers Bangalore player Luke Pomersbach was arrested on charges of molesting an American woman. He was given bail by a Delhi court yesterday but cannot leave the country until the investigation is complete.

BCCI to honour ex-players

with surplus revenue from IPL
A total of 70 crores surplus revenue from the IPL and CLT20 will be utilised to make a one-off payment to international and first-class cricketers who retired before 2004.
FP Sports, May 21, 2012 his years IPL league round has determined Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians will play it among themselves to try and clinch the trophy. The playoff matches will also witness a tribute by the BCCI to its greats, with the surplus revenue from the IPL and CLT20 will be utilised to make a one-off payment to international and first-class cricketers who retired before 2004, in recognition of their services to Indian Cricket. A total of 70 crores will be distributed.

Widows of deceased Cricketers will also be eligible for the one-time payment. As per the system worked out by the Board, three ODIs will be considered the equivalent of one Test Match. Accordingly, a cricketer who may have played, say only one Test, but a hundred ODIs, will be considered part of the between 25 and 49 Tests bracket. Some of the beneficiaries have been invited to the DLF IPL 2012 Playoff venues. They will be presented their respective cheques before the start of the games.

the dark over BCCI benefits

Sources say that the BCCI scratched Azads name from the list of beneficiaries for the one-time payment due his fast against the IPL. Meanwhile, uncertainty prevails over whether Kapil Dev has also been left out of the list.
PTI, May 23, 2012 he BCCI may have dropped his name from the list of former cricketers who will get one-time benefit payment but a defiant Kirti Azad today said that he will not stop from raising his voice against the Indian Premier League and the Board. According to sources, the BCCI scratched the name of Azad from the list of beneficiaries for the one-time payment following his fast at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground in protest against the

Azad, Kapil Dev remain in

alleged financial irregularities in the IPL. There is no official word from the BCCI yet on this issue. Azad said he has not been contacted by the BCCI on whether his name has been removed from the list. I have not received any intimation from the BCCI so far. Neither has anyone contacted me, he told PTI. Asked if he would accept the one-time payment

if the Board decides to give it to him, Azad said, The question of acceptance or refusal of the payment arises only when they get in touch me. But if they think that they can stop me from raising my voice by doing that, then they are wrong, said Azad, one of the members of the 1983 World Cup winning team and now a Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament. Azad, who is to get Rs 35 lakh under the BCCI scheme, said he will continue protesting against the IPL and the Board. The skeletons of IPL have been coming out in the open and I will continue protesting whenever I see any kind of wrongdoings, he said. Azad was non-committal when asked whether he was getting monthly pension from the BCCI as a former cricketer. I am not aware if I am getting the pension or not. I have to ask my chartered accountant as to whether I have been getting my pension. I am not aware, he said. Azad said he has written a letter to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to take action against IPL for various financial irregularities. I have already written a letter to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asking what action the government intend to take on the allegations of money laundering, tax evasion, foreign exchange violation by the IPL, he said. Meanwhile, even as uncertainty prevails over whether Kapil Dev has been left out of the list of former cricketers due to receive the one-time monetary benefit by the BCCI, the former India captain today said officials of the Cricket Board are the boss and its their call. They are the boss. Let them do whatever they want to do. What is the point about talking on this matter? Kapil told PTI.

The 1983-World Cup winning captain was not invited by the BCCI for the functions at the four IPL venues where it is set to honour former cricketers with cheques for their services to Indian cricket. Kapil played 131 Tests and 225 One-day internationals for India and is rated among one of the greatest all-rounders to have played the game. He is entitled to get 1.5 crore from the BCCI as per the scheme. I am a contented person and these things will not bother me. I enjoyed playing for India and that is it. I do not have to do anything more. I do not feel comfortable in talking negative. I am a very positive person and I do not have to talk about negatives. It is believed that Kapil was ignored by the BCCI as he had not accepted the amnesty offered by the board following his involvement in the Indian Cricket League the now-defunct Twenty20 league. While a senior BCCI official insisted that Kapils name figures in the list of beneficiaries, some other officials said he was ignored. The Board had released the list of 65 players invited to collect their cheques at the four venues, but the entire list of beneficiaries has never been made public. I wish them (BCCI) all the best. They will not come to me (as) they are the Board. Let them do whatever they want to do. What is the problem in that? Try to understand that if they want to do something let them do it. Kapil said he was happy that the BCCI has made an effort to look after his former colleagues. I am a positive man I take my life positively. I played my cricket in positive manner throughout my career. I am only happy that so many colleagues of mine are being looked after by Board. That is it.

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