They? The people who will insist they always knew the Indian Premier League was corrupt and artificial.

The people who celebrated India TV's sting operation, the suspension of five players because of it, the scuffle which saw Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan banned from the Wankhede stadium for five years and the Luke Pomersbach assault case.

In some ways they are right. In the space of a week, the IPL has played up to all the stereotypes they have created for it.

Allegations of spot-fixing, skulduggery and sleaze have surfaced.

But, before they trumpet victory, it is worth deconstructing whether that is justified. The television investigation findings are not limited to spot-fixing.

Four of the five suspended players, who are all Indian domestic cricketers, were caught on tape discussing no-balls, according to the Times of India.

The other allegation against them, and a few others, is that they sought more lucrative deals with franchises, violating the terms of their contracts.

The IPL has a salary cap for players who have not yet reached international status, depending on the number of years they have spent on the first-class scene.

Attempting to negotiate a deal worth more than that is an offence.

Ravindra Jadeja was banned for the 2010 season when he tried it and Manish Pandey had a complaint lodged against him after Royal Challengers Bangalore suspected him of the same.

According to the competition's rules, entering into such arrangements is improper, but it is easy to see why vulnerable young players would do it.

Almost anyone in the job market may consider it, even if they know they should not.

The players involved in the talks will and should be punished, but the franchises who either start or entertain those discussions will escape without warning, something being flagged as a double standard, and that needs to be changed.

Spot-fixing is a different matter and one that affects cricket in all its forms, as recent history has shown.

Albie Morkel issued a reminder of that when he tweeted: "U can do spot-fixing in a wanderers vs pirates game on a Sunday if u want 2."

The other embarrassments are not limited to the IPL.

Khan may have been drunk and unruly, but other administrators in other parts of the world have been found guilty of the same.

Pomersbach is implicated in something with greater consequences.

He has been accused of molesting a woman and beating up her fiancé.

If guilty, Pomersbach's actions have nothing to do with the IPL, but committing them during the tournament has only further blighted its image.