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This is not cricket; IPL is gambling, says Thackeray
Published on Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 14:09, Updated at Fri, Feb 22, 2008 in Sports section
Tags: Indian Premier League, Bal Thackeray , Mumbai
DIFFERENT BALL GAME: Thackeray warns Sharad Pawar against transforming cricket into a gambling game.
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Mumbai: Dubbing the auctioning of cricketers by the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League as 'a gambling game of industrialists', Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray on Friday asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India President Sharad Pawar to stop it.
In an open letter to Pawar published on the front page of Friday's edition of Sena mouthpiece Samana, Thackarey said such open display of wealth does not augur well for the Indian cricket where players are being auctioned for money.
He said the whole thing has started only to checkmate Indian Cricket League, the rebel league promoted by Subhash Chandra-led Essel Group.
The auction of over 60 players, including those from other Test playing countries, was held here on Wednesday.
"Oh Pawar, what is happening in the realm of cricket?" said the Sena chief, who is also the editor of the newspaper.
"These industrialists are throwing money in your cricket field as a result of which cricket is getting corrupt. Cricketers are being purchased as a result this their concentration will not be in the game and the sport will decline in this country," he warned.
"If this is how industrialists wield their money, then a day will come when there will be no need of government because it will be the industrialists who will call the shots and run the country," Thackeray said.
"Stop this gambling of industrialists and save cricket. You (Pawar) have the guts to do it, don't you?" the letter added.
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Total Comments: 16
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This IPL Tamasha should be banned as it is not Cricket what they are going to play but TV serials(?).This
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Hope Thakeray's insinuations come true. Better wealth flaunting industrialists ruling the country than corrupt politicians. Thakeray is a politician too,
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Vulgar display of wealth in a majority poor country. The feelings of the spectators are taken for granted.Shame on those
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For once I'll agree with Bala Thackeray on the issue of IPL Cricket in India. This is most definitely gamblimg
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dude or girl whoever you are ...are you living in the real world ? Why are you equating india's povertly
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