Board bans “match-fixers”, orders internal inquiry

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 3: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today decide to ban the Indian cricketers held guilty of involving...

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 3: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today decide to ban the Indian cricketers held guilty of involving in match-fixing by the CBI from international and domestic cricket. “We are banning the five players — Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia, Monoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma — from any form of cricket, international or domestic with immediate effect,” said BCCI chief A C Muthiah after a 60-minute closed-door meeting with the Union Minister for Sports Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

The tenure of the ban will be decided after an internal inquiry by the board is completed. But, letters have been dispatched to the various state associations asking them not to consider these players till further action is decided upon.

The board has set a 15-day time frame for the inquiry committee, which will be headed by the former CBI joint director K Madhavan. Muthiah said that the inquiry committee will submit its report to the disciplinary committee of the board which in turn will recommend what penal action can be taken. “We will spare no efforts in taking action to curb such malpractices,” Muthiah informed the media here.

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When asked as to what the final action could be, Dhindsa said: “Once we have some thing in black and white, which will be very soon, it will be implemented very strictly.”

And, as if to compliment the BCCI stand, Dhindsa dropped another bombshell. “The government is considering taking back of the Arjuna Awards from the tainted cricketers. But, this will be done only after the BCCI gives us its detailed response to the role of players, as alleged by the CBI. We want them to go ahead with their internal inquiry and then advise us further,” Dhindsa promised.

Of the five, only Ajay Sharma hasn’t received the Arjuna Award. Azhar got the award in ’86, Prabhakar in ’93, Jadeja in ’97 and Mongia in ’98.

Muthiah said the board’s code of conduct would play an important role now. “We will decide the penalty attributable for their default according to the code.” And, what could be the maximum punishment? Muthiah replied: “Life ban. That’s the most we can do.”

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The sports minister seemed happy with the way Muthiah pledged BCCI’s support to the government. “Muthiah assured me that the board will submit the response to the sports ministry on each and every aspect of the report. That also includes CBI’s adverse remarks against the board. They have made a good start today, by banning them and we have to ensure this effort doesn’t go waste,” Dhindsa said.

On the issue of India’s proposed tour of Pakistan, Dhindsa said, “The proposal is under consideration of the government and the ministries of home affairs and external affairs are also involved in the decision making process.”

Board, CBI one-sided: Prabhakar

* Manoj Prabhakar: Both the ban and the CBI report are one-sided. They seem to have acted with a single mission of protecting somebody.

* Ajay Sharma: My only crime was that I introduced someone (not knowing that he is a bookie) to Azhar. I have never been involved in match-fixing.

* Azharuddin is yet to comment.