Make spot and match-fixing criminal offence: Dravid

Former India captain Rahul Dravid wants match-fixing and spot-fixing to be made criminal offences so that it would act as a deterrent to potential fixers.

"I don't think only education can work, policing it and having the right laws and ensuring that people when they indulge in this kind of activities are actually punished. People must see that there are consequences to your actions. That will create fear for people," said Dravid.

Dravid, who is prosecution witness in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandal, also stressed the need for educating young cricketers.

The comments by Dravid, who led Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, came in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal involving his three team mates S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.

"My personal belief is that education and counselling at a junior level is really important. I think we've got to start early, we've got to start young but … that part of it is already being done. I know that India has its own ACSU and even for Ranji Trophy teams this education is given," Dravid was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.com.

On the police case against his three team mates, Dravid said: "The case is still on and I don't want to make any judgement on whether people are guilty or not and I think everyone has a right to be innocent until he's proven guilty and I'm glad the police is going ahead and doing what needs to be done and taking it to its logical conclusion."

Dravid referred to the doping scandal in cycling and said awareness programmes alone were not sufficient.

"Everyone knows it's wrong, and it's frightening, having read a little bit about it and the number of cyclists who were doing it. Surely all know it's wrong. So the only people those cyclists were scared of was not the testers, not the authority, they were scared of the police. You read all the articles, the only guys they were scared of was the police and going to jail. So the only way that people are going to get that fear is if they know the consequences to these actions and the law that will come into play. It's got to be a criminal offence," he said.