Azharuddin grilled for six hours
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, accused of match-fixing by the Central Bureau of Investigation, was cross-examined by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's vigilance commissioner K Madhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Azharuddin walked into a hotel through a rear door at noon and met Madhavan.
He was grilled for almost six hours, officials said, adding each of his statements were recorded.
It was Azharuddin's first public appearance since the Central Bureau of Investigation's report on match-fixing was made public on November 1.
According to the report, Azharuddin, 37, confessed to fixing three matches at the behest of bookmaker Mukesh Gupta.
Madhavan, a former CBI joint director, is conducting a separate probe based on the report to enable the BCCI to take action against the tainted players.
After his questioning, Azharuddin left the hotel without a word to the waiting reporters.
Madhavan, however, spoke to them after the grilling session.
"Azharuddin has told me what all he had to tell and signed 12 pages of his recorded statement after replying to all my questions," the former national detective said.
"Although he was tense initially, as he must have imagined me to be a beast or something like that, he was very relaxed later and at one stage even called me uncle.
"He appeared to me a relieved man while he was leaving," Madhavan said.
"Now, I will also question Ajay Sharma on November 19 in New Delhi and try to submit the final report by November 25 to enable the BCCI to present it in its general body meeting slated for November 29," he added.
Former Test cricketer Sharma had ducked a summons to appear before Madhavan in Madras last Saturday citing health reasons.
Azharuddin had declined to meet Madhavan in Madras, saying he had not received a copy of the CBI report.
Madhavan sent a copy of the report to Azharuddin, who requested a meeting in his home town of Hyderabad, fearing security problems if he travelled out of town.
Madhavan said he travelled to Hyderabad because of Azharuddin's security fears.
"Although the investigating officer decides the venue and time of hearing, here in this case I thought of the exposure Azharuddin had to face during his travel to Madras and for the first time in my 40-year service, agreed to come to the subject's place for the questioning," he said.
Three other Indian players named in the report -- Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia and Manoj Prabhakar -- and physiotherapist Ali Irani met Madhavan in Madras.
All five cricketers have been suspended from first-class cricket pending Madhavan's recommendations.
Madhavan did not rule out questioning Indian cricket icon Kapil Dev, who has been absolved by the CBI or star batsman Sachin Tendulkar.
"The question of whether or not to speak to Sachin will be considered only after completing the hearing of all those named in the CBI report," he added.
Earlier report
Azhar appears before Madhavan
Mail Cricket Editor
