Neeraj Kumar's book, A Cop In Cricket, offers a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the BCCI's anti-corruption unit. What makes this book particularly intriguing is Kumar's firsthand experience as Delhi's Police Commissioner during the infamous 2013 IPL cheating incident. Our vivid imaginations may have fabricated the majority of those commitments, involving bookmakers, the criminal underworld, bettors, and cricket players involved in spot-fixing.
The dispute involved cricketers S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila, and Ankit Chauhan, as well as IPL officials Gurunath Meiyappan, who described himself as the team principal of Chennai Super Kings, and Raj Kundra, the owner of Rajasthan Royals. Kumar publicly disclosed the nighttime apprehension of the three cricketers in Mumbai under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, initiating a tragic narrative that concluded in September of last year.
The Supreme Court has designated two committees to examine the BCCI's practices and propose reforms in governance following the incident. The BCCI recently made revisions to its constitution, implementing changes to its administration and electoral college.
A police officer in the world of cricket chooses not to focus on the scandalous corruption controversy that occurred in 2013 or the unsavoury hidden truths of the sport's top players. Kumar's tenure as the head of BCCI's anti-corruption unit (ACU) is chronicled in the book, spanning from June 2015 to May 2018. In June 2017, a Committee of Administrators (CoA) led by Vinod Rai, a former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, assumed control of the BCCI's administration from its elected officials under President Anurag Thakur, who had initially appointed Kumar to the position. Rai gained widespread recognition for his relentless crusade against the corruption scandals surrounding the 2G and coal allocation schemes of the United Progressive Alliance government in the lead-up to the 2014 general election.
Kumar gained extensive knowledge about Indian cricket during his initial tenure as ACU chief. However, he encountered some recurring oversights from the BCCI, such as the need for more dedicated office space and the disregard for addressing issues of corruption and security in cricket. Despite the promises of change with Rai and the CoA, Kumar found himself repeatedly requesting a meeting to clarify the issue. According to him, the BCCI failed to acknowledge corruption as an issue despite the fact that the chairman was a strong advocate against corruption.
The BCCI consistently showed disregard and failed to assist the head of the anti-corruption section, regardless of the information presented to them. Kumar strongly believes that it is crucial for Indian cricket to redefine the concept of corruption despite the presence of interpersonal conflicts. Seeing corruption solely as match-fixing is overlooking the broader scope of the issue... fixing is merely a fraction of the extensive deceit practised by cricket officials.
Experienced Deceivers
Kumar highlights another scandal in Indian cricket that the media have deliberately overlooked. This scandal is slowly eroding the reputation of Indian cricket. Deceptive individuals who organise fraudulent tryouts in exchange for payment and make false guarantees of academy placements, player contracts, or opportunities for overseas exposure to aspiring cricketers and their families. There are cricket coaches and academies associated with criminal networks that falsely claim to represent this brand.
Illegal Gambling
Kumar asserts that the BCCI shows little concern for franchises' involvement in such activities, be it in the IPL, State T20s, or its own State associations. Local cricket organisations make minimal efforts to prevent corrupt T20 tournaments from hiding illegal betting activities.
The ACU discovered Vijay Barhate, Sobers Joban, Dinesh Kumar, Kashish Gupta, and Amin Pathan in incidents detailed in the book. Yet, their transgressions were rarely made public to caution Indian cricket. For the BCCI to address the issue of corruption within its organisation, it would need to openly acknowledge its presence, even amidst the glamour and financial success.
ACU received frequent complaints from young cricketers, parents, coaches, and administrators regarding issues of extortion and exploitation. Collaborating with local authorities to apprehend and prosecute the culprits proved to be an impossible challenge, but Kumar provides a compelling account of how it was achieved in specific instances.
The BCCI has ignored corruption within its organisation and only took action when the authorities made high-profile arrests. Each question the ACU responded to revealed a different aspect of cricket mismanagement that was even more scandalous than the previous one.
The secretary of the Mahendragarh District Cricket Association in Haryana, who happens to be a brick kiln owner, appeared to need to gain more knowledge about the game of cricket. He hired a clothing business owner who served as a multi-talented individual, taking on the roles of a coach, selector, and administrator. He worked with three go-betweens to allow players from different districts to contribute towards Mahendragarh, disregarding the local cricketers. The shopkeeper's assistant made inappropriate advances towards young players in the district.
Kumar gives them names. As per the author's perspective, state cricket organisations, which face allegations of corruption and mismanagement, select their puppets to head district setups. The BCCI (CEO and CoA) has been provided with data regarding the Mahendragarh case to scrutinise the Haryana Cricket Association. No official statements have been released regarding this matter.
The Johri Incident
Kumar thoroughly debunks Rai's assertion of being the moral compass of the nation. He argues that Rai's unconventional decision-making (playing both good cop and bad cop by himself?) hindered him. This article discusses the professional abilities and performance of Rahul Johri, the former CEO of the BCCI, who faced allegations of sexual assault from a female colleague.
Kumar mentioned that the majority of the "independent inquiry committee" examining the allegations had a sharp and aggressive attitude. Their discoveries were bleak and inevitable. Johri was instructed to participate in a programme focused on promoting understanding and respect for gender despite the allegations being dismissed as unfounded and intentionally created.
Kumar claims that Rai's behaviour in the Johri case will continue to baffle the majority of IAS supporters. "Numerous individuals hold the view that the guardian of the nation's moral compass orchestrated a peculiar spectacle in order to protect a wayward leader from facing legal consequences."
A book about a significant era in Indian cricket without proper organisation is lacking in effort. The title and visuals of A Cop in Cricket's film give it a flashy and cinematic feel, reminiscent of crime novels found in airport bookstores or the popular TV show CID on Sony. However, they only partially capture its true essence. A Cop in Cricket is an in-depth, unverified account of corruption within India's cherished sport and the apparent disregard of its authorities.