Cricket fans feel cheated after spot-fixing scandal, survey finds

Eighty-two per cent of cricket fans feel cheated for having watched the domestic T20 league as a result of the spot-fixing controversy, a Hindustan Times-C-fore survey finds.

It seems a few bad apples have gone and spoiled the whole bunch, again. 82% of cricket fans feel cheated for having watched the domestic T20 league as a result of the spot-fixing controversy, according to a survey.

Worse still, two-thirds say their confidence in cricket itself has been eroded. For many, the sixth edition of the T20 tournament is tainted beyond repair. Over a third said they want the ongoing tournament to be scrapped entirely. Almost three-quarters don’t even care who wins. Bad for fans, bad for players, bad for cricket.

Match–fixing — once described as a “cancer” by one of the most powerful guardians of sport, Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee — has affected the attitude of the nation towards the sport. And the bad news for the BCCI doesn't stop there. Despite its president, N Srinivasan, strongly making the point last week that only a few "dirty cricketers" had let people down, over 87% cricket fans surveyed feel that the apex body is not doing enough to curb malpractices in cricket.

The survey, conducted by Hindustan Times along with research agency C fore, interviewed 500 cricket watchers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Jaipur. Advertisers and broadcasters too need to worry — a larger share (45%) said they would not watch the rest of the season than those who said they would (35%).

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Watch this space for more. Read more on Tuesday's edition of Hindustan Times.