It has been easy to be critical of the Board of Control for Cricket in India these days. The cricket body’s critics are provided with ample ammunition through a whole lot of conflict-of-interest cases, the ever-controversial Indian Premier League and the Board’s lack of transparency. However, the decision by the BCCI to crack the whip with life bans to S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan is akin to a batsman pouncing on a loose delivery and driving it straight to the fence. If bad balls should never be given any respect on the cricket field, the same holds true for off-field matters.

Rajasthan Royals’ Siddharth Trivedi got a one-year ban and paid the price for not keeping the authorities in the loop about approaches by suspicious people although he didn’t indulge in any hanky-panky. While the punishment for this ‘crime’ is not severe, it is a huge lesson for young cricketers to keep their team bosses and anti-corruption officials informed about offers to fix/spot fix without any fear. This may well keep the bad influences away from the team.