BCCI verdict on tainted players today

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, NOV. 28. The five tainted players and a physiotherapist presented themselves in front of the Disciplinary Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and promptly denied any involvement in betting and match-fixing.

Mohammad Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja, Ajay Sharma and Nayan Mongia, along with Ali Irani, had been summoned to face the Committee comprising the BCCI president, Mr. A. C. Muthiah, and vice-presidents Mr. Kamal Morarka and Mr. Ram Prasad.

The decision on the nature of punishment will be announced in Calcutta tomorrow even as the BCCI indicated a firm stand on the issue. Also present at the hearing today was the BCCI Anti- Corruption Commissioner, Mr. K. Madhavan.

Azharuddin, Ajay Sharma, Mongia, exonerated by the CBI and the BCCI, and Ali Irani, charged as being the conduit between players and bookies, managed to give the media a slip while Jadeja stated that he stuck to his earlier stand of being clean and honest. Prabhakar, the only player who offered to meet the media, also repeated his views on the episode and claimed he had nothing to do with any match-fixing or betting.

The most telling comment of the day came from Mr. Morarka when he announced ``there is more corruption in the CBI than there is in cricket.'' Mr. Muthiah swiftly disassociated with Mr. Morarka's statement by stating ``what he has said has nothing to do with the Board's stand.'' Mr. Madhavan, who was appointed by the BCCI to study the CBI report and give his views, also refuted Mr. Morarka's statement on the functioning of the CBI.

Mr. Muthiah will apprise the BCCI general body tomorrow which will decide on the course of future action, including punishment to the players pronounced guilty by the CBI and Mr. Madhavan.

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