Former Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi welcomed the Supreme Court verdict on the Lodha Committee verdict. The outspoken ex-cricketer welcomed the order hailing it as a victory for the game.
“It was waiting to happen and has come at a time when cricket needed this kind of fillip. It was clean always but was being maligned,” Bedi told The Hindu here on Tuesday.
When most of the former Indian cricketer decided to be silent, Bedi frequently questioned the manner in which the administrator run game in India.
“I have always believed in the phrase that cricket is a reflection of the society we live in. The good that happens in Indian cricket/sport is sheer providence; the evil/sinful that happens in Indian cricket/sport is by comprehensive design.
“The game had been infiltrated by evils and its image had to be restored. The Supreme Court has done it. And how? The Court gave BCCI sufficient time to present its case but was not convinced. The BCCI must have spent crores of rupees in trying to prove a point without the legs to stand on,” the legendary spinner said.
After Supreme Court’s historic verdict on one wants to indulge in the debate, the former Indian spinner said,
“Only good will come out of the Supreme Court order. The Lodha Committee had done a wonderful job and I must say it showed the Board in poor light. Transparency was the need of the hour.”
Bedi things the order will help the cricketers.
“I had strong faith in the judiciary to help the cause of the cricketers because there was no other forum left for us.”
The former Delhi player also hailed Lodha Committee to take the initiative to clear the haze on the Indian cricket.
“Indian cricket should be grateful to the Lodha Committee for restoring its dignity. This is not an event. It is a movement that will carry Indian cricket forward and inspire the young sportspersons. They know now that their career can’t be decided by the whims and fancies of officials.”
He believes that a bright future is waiting for Indian cricket as not only BCCI all state units also have to go through the structural change.
“When something untoward happens in the game it is often said, ‘It is not cricket’. What was happening for a long time was not quite a cricket. Let us now enjoy the game in its true spirit.”