Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) hasn't just got players, fans and Bollywood stars excited but even the bookies can't wait for the action to begin.
They believe matches can be fixed when the Twenty20 tournament starts on April 18, but IPL bosses are sure their moves will come to naught.
But across the country, men who form part of cricket's underbelly are licking their lips in anticipation, as the bookies believe that with no national pride to play for, IPL matches and players will be easy targets.
"Sab malik ke liye khel rahen hain. They have got money for that, toh malik jaisa bolega who vaisa hee karenge. Malik ne bool diya wicket fainkna hain toh fainkna hee padega unko (Everyone is playing for his owner. If the owner says then the player will have to throw away his wicket)," a bookie says.
Even as the IPL has brought in big money in the world of cricket and caught the attention of many but are the IPL authorities really prepared to prevent match-fixing.
IPL bosses say they are fully aware of the risks and say the hype in the build-up to the event is important. However, they say the credibility of the tournament to them is paramount.
"We have made it abundantly clear that Anti-corruption code of ICC will be applicable. We are having a close coordination with the ICC. We have taken more precautions than one would have taken for even a World Cup," IS Bindra, IPL's Infrastructure Committee head, said.
Cricket's tryst with match-fixing claimed not just high-profile victims but for some; destroyed the soul of the game.
So the game's keepers will have to ensure, that this latest glitzy avtaar doesn't let the ghost to re-emerge.
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