The arrest of three cricketers over spot-fixing allegations in the Indian Premier League (IPL) brought the game of cricket — better known as gentleman’s game — into utter disrepute and the reputation of Indian cricket was dragged through the mud.

The love for cricket in the Indian subcontinent is so intense that whenever there is a match, people from all walks of life are glued to their TV sets to know the latest score. Cricket is a very popular game in the subcontinent and many youngsters consider these international players as their role models. The notorious act has betrayed a billion fans and it is a clear case of cheating the spectators who pay hefty entrance fees to watch a fair game. This is an unpardonable act on part of the cricketers who are involved in match-fixing or spot-fixing. These cricketers are already making fortunes.

The game of cricket is losing its glory because of match-fixing and other corruption charges. It has, in fact, become a commercial enterprise. I request the authorities to please bring back the glory to this game by taking some exemplary action against all those involved in spot-fixing. Police should also expand their scope of investigation across India and abroad.

The International Cricket Council also should set strict rules to penalize all those who indulge in match-fixing. There should be zero tolerance for corruption in the gentleman’s game.

SIR, ~ It is distressing to read about the plight of a leading sportsperson, Santhi Saundarajan, who had represented India at the Asian Games in Doha. She had done the country proud by winning a silver medal. Alas, she is today a daily-wage labourer in a brick kiln, earning Rs 200 a day. The irony could not have been more cruel for this middle-distance runner. Her appeals to the authorities for a stable job have met with no response.

Unfortunately, she was stripped of the medal she had won at Asiad for no fault of hers. A medical test revealed a deficiency of female hormones; she even failed a gender test. She grew up as a girl. She worked very hard for a place in the contingent that represented India at the Doha Asiad.

Her present living status ~ survival on pittance ~ is a reflection on the country and the IOA which had successfully organised the Commonwealth games, spending ~ and misusing ~ thousands of crores of public money. Her predicament is a national shame. Neither the government nor the so-called sports federations are interested to help talented sportsmen, who by a quirk of fortune have been driven to penury, if not social harassment as well.