Match-fixing scam will cleanse game

New Delhi: Indian cricket captain Saurav Ganguly has said that the match-fixing controversy that has rocked international cricket "is the best thing that could have happened to the game" because it would prevent players from doing "anything wrong" in future."Anyway, now I think this is the best thing that has happened to the game. I think cricketers would be scared after this to do anything wrong," he said on the "Hard Talk" programme of Star TV that is to be telecast on Sunday evening.He said he was "surprised" when he first heard about the match-fixing scandal. "I was surprised when I heard the Hansie Cronje thing. I had no sense that something was going on," Ganguly said.What had surprised him even more was that "the first game where they were saying it is (sic) a fixed game, South Africa scored 310," he said. "Match-fixing has put cricket down, but 14 people cannot be blamed for something someone else has done," Ganguly said.Ganguly spoke on a variety of subjects including cricket administration, the cancellation of the Pakistan tour and his own attitude to the game during the 30-minute freewheeling interview with show host Vir Sanghvi."Sports and politics should not be linked," he said about the government's decision to cancel the winter tour of Pakistan, the first to the country in 12 years. "I am not in a position to say anything about the government of India saying India not play Pakistan," he added.Speaking about the administration of the game, he said, "I don't think former cricketers should be involved. I have seen former cricketers do and say things which make you feel that how can someone who has played the game could do such things and make such comments," he said.Ganguly denied suggestions that he was high-handed. "I do not try to dominate. It's not even a question of being demonstrative. I feel that if someone is making a mistake on the ground, it's better to tell him then and there because the decision of the game is on the cricket field," he said."There is no point going off the field and then telling him this is what you did wrong and try and rectify it the next time," Ganguly said.Ganguly admitted that he "did not even imagine" that he could make a comeback to the Indian team after his disastrous debut tour of Australia in 1992."I came back from Australia and read in the papers that the manager said that I had refused to take out drinks and that was not true at all," he said. "No, that is absolutely wrong. I was only 17. Being a part of the 14 is an honour and I couldn't have ever refused carrying the drinks," he said."One dream of mine is to be on the winning World Cup side," Ganguly said. He has played in only one World Cup - at England in 1999. The next edition will be played in South Africa in 2003.India Abroad News Service