No fixing in women’s cricket says Mithali Raj

At a time when cricket is once again marred by fixing issues, it feels nice that at least women's cricket is untouched by such scandals. Captain of the Indian Women's cricket team Mithali Raj tells us how her team steers clear of such controversies.

“I don’t know why anyone would do that (fixing). The past is proof that match-fixing can ruin your career. I don’t understand why players take such a beautiful game and mar it with such issues,” says the sports star who was walking the ramp for the Passionate Foundation.

“Things have changed now; even when you’re watching a normal match, the match-fixing issue is always at the back of your mind. It is going to take a lot of time for people to get over this,” she says, adding that there’s no sure-shot way of ending the fixing issue. “It’s up to an individual to control his greed. Unless it comes from within, no one can do anything,” she asserts.

Explaining why women’s cricket hasn’t faced any such issues, she says, “The team has seen bad times. There were days when there was no money.

But we played, because we play with passion. So when money started pouring in, we never had any reason to go astray. If you’re passionate about anything, you will do everything in your power to hold on to it.” Mithali, who walked the ramp like a seasoned pro, divulged that this was the first time on the catwalk for her. “I thought I would be nervous but once I got on stage it was fun,” she says.

With a busy schedule like hers, taking time out for activities other than cricket might seem like a task, but she points out: “It’s off-season now, so it’s easier to do things.” We get a quick “no” when we ask her whether she has any plans to enter showbiz. “I love my game too much. My identity is due to the game. As long as my passion for the game is alive, I will play,” she says.

source: deccanchronicle.com