Azhar, Sharma debarred for life

By Our Sports Reporter

CHENNAI, DEC. 5. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has come down heavily on players either found involved in match- fixing or having a nexus with bookmakers. Mohammed Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma have been debarred from playing any cricket match conducted or authorised by the ICC/BCCI for life, commencing from December 5, following the verdict of the disciplinary panel headed by the BCCI chief, Mr. A.C. Muthiah, here today.

Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabkakar have been debarred for five years, while Nayan Mongia has been exonerated. Former Indian physio, Dr. Ali Irani, has been debarred for five years from practising with the ICC/ BCCI teams, while Ferozeshah Kotla groundsman, Mr. Ram Adhar, stands exonerated.

Those found guilty by the BCCI will also be debarred for the period of their sentences from holding any position in the ICC/ BCCI or affiliated associations, will not be eligible for any Board benefit matches, and the BCCI's contribution to their benevolent fund will be forfeited with effect from December 5.

``It is a sad day in the annals of Indian cricket,'' Mr. Muthiah said addressing mediapersons along with the other member of the panel, Mr. Rampradsad, BCCI vice-president.

The BCCI had the future of Indian cricket in mind while arriving at this decision, he said, and hoped it would deter the younger generation of cricketers. He denied there was any pressure on the board to go soft on any particular cricketer.

Mr. Muthiah, however, said the third member of the panel, Mr. Kamal Morarka, could not attend the meeting due to personal engagements in Delhi. The BCCI chief had not spoken to Mr. Morarka about the decision taken by the panel and he denied suggestions that Mr. Morarka was not in agreement with the panel's decision.

About Mr. Morarka's adverse comments on the CBI, Mr. Muthiah said those were his personal views and could not be attributed to the BCCI. ``It is a democracy.''

He clarified that off-spinner Nikhil Chopra had not yet been cleared by the BCCI's anti-corruption commissioner, Mr. K. Madhavan, and said the selectors, under a mistaken impression that the player concerned had been exonerated had picked him in the squad for the one-dayers against Zimbabwe. Mr. Madhavan will have to give Chopra a clean chit before he can be selected, Mr. Muthiah said.

The board would have come under severe criticism from all quarters had it delayed the decision, he said, and added that the new Sports Minister, Ms. Uma Bharti, had wanted the BCCI to act fast. He said the punished players were at liberty to go on an appeal.

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