There's not a bigger scam in India than IPL, claims Bishan Singh Bedi

Legendary former India spinner Bedi has again criticized the cash-rich Indian Premier League during a recent event. He has always been critical about the league and now he has called the tournament a platform for money-laundering. He even lashed out at the organizers for taking India’s money out of the country without the permission of the then finance minister of India. He also opined that the performance at the league shouldn’t be a criterion to get into the national team.

"I don't want to say anything about IPL. There's not a bigger scam in India than IPL. Nobody here knows where IPL's money comes and goes. The second edition of the IPL happened in South Africa, millions of money was taken out of the country without the permission of Finance Minister," Bedi said at Sahitya Aaj Tak event. 

"IPL should not be the basis of Indian selection, local T20 tournaments should be. A team has players who are paid high and ones who get less money. The lower income player doesn't have the skills, how does he catch up? The only way he sees is betting. I have a lot of experience in cricket, you can tell what is happening in what match. If we stay blind even while seeing, then it's our choice.”

The 72-year-old commented on the captain-coach fiasco between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble after the Champions Trophy last year and said the former leg-spinner was forced to step down because of the skipper’s monopoly in the decisions of India cricket. The players were unhappy with Kumble being the coach in the team and there was no communication between Kohli and Kumble then. However, he also said that India has a good team going into the Australia series with more focus on Kohli. 

"That is what I am saying, one person [Virat Kohli] is doing all he wants and we are letting it happen. What would Anil have said, he was gracious to leave it like that," Bedi explained.

"The Indian team is good, we all know that but the same team went to England and South Africa and those teams were also "weak". Yes the bans have happened on two kids [Steve Smith and David Warner] but a team is not made of two individuals. In fact, our team is made of one person, everything is about Kohli. The amount of focus there is, you don't realise how much pressure you are putting on that kid , both as a batsman and a captain."