IPL is a platform for money-laundering, feels Bedi

Kolkata, Jan 27 - As money was spent without inhibition by team owners on the first day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in Bengaluru, former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi slammed the cash-rich T20 cricket league, saying it is

Since then, the Lodha committee had banned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) from competing in the IPL for two years, also banishing Gurunath Meiyappan of CSK and Raj Kundra of RR for life from taking part in any BCCI-related cricket activities in India.

The Lodha panel also recommended sweeping reforms to cleanse cricket in the country, which, to date, are still to be implemented in toto.

The 71-year-old legendary left-arm spinner added that the IPL is an easy target for match-fixing.

"You find a person like Virat (Kohli) who has been retained for 17 crore. He deserves it. But in the same dressing room, there will be a youngster who will fetch 10-15 lakhs," he said.

"Now he will try to catch up with Virat Kohli. Now how does he do it? There are ways and means to do it and there is a platform which encourages you to do it -- which is match-fixing. IPL is an easy target."

In May 2013, the Delhi Police arrested three players, S. Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila of the Rajasthan Royals on charges of spot-fixing.

Bedi signed off by indicating that he would never get involved with the IPL.

"People have accused me that I am maligning IPL as I don't get anything out of it. I said see if you can rope me in, you can try," he said.

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IANS