"The Code of Conduct is almost ready and we will soon announce it," Sports Minister Uma Bharti told PTI, adding that these should be implemented by the States as well as the National Sports Federations. Sports being in the State List, the Government had to take the views of all the States, which unanimously favoured the Centre's initiative to rein in players in the wake of the CBI report indicting several top cricketers for their alleged involvement in the match-fixing and betting scandal, the Minister said.

She said the Government was of the view that the Code should be implemented by the Federations themselves and for this they would be taken into confidence before announcing it. "Cricket se to hamari ankhen khuli hein (It was the scandal in cricket which opened our eyes to the menace)," Bharti said adding the "too much commercialisation of the game has brought it to such an impasse."

The Code of Conduct was prepared after studying those of various countries and the provisions made there in, the Sports Minister said."All the points which were found good enough to stop the menace of match-fixing have been considered favourably and views of experts in various fields were taken for preparing the Code of Conduct for Indian players," she said. Asked whether CBI was still continuing its probe in the match-fixing and betting scandal which originated with Delhi Police taping the conversation between disgraced South Afrcian captain Hansie Cronje and a bookie, Bharti said "no more inquiry is being conducted by CBI at present."

She said the Government was not against cricketers getting good money from the game as their playing career was short. "But we are against too much commercialisation which lures players to look for easier options to make money," Bharti added.

"If commercialisation of cricket becomes the sole motive of the organisers, then it no longer stays a game but becomes business. And this is what the Government wants to stop," the Sports Minister said.

© PTI