Azhar claimed he made no statement before the CBI about his
involvement in match-fixing: Muthiah
Onkar Singh
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's disciplinary committee which began deliberations on the report submitted by vigilance commissioner K Madhavan early Tuesday morning, at Delhi’s Taj Man Singh hotel, wound up its proceedings around three in the afternoon. BCCI president Dr A C Muthiah presided over the meeting, which was attended by Ram Prasad and Kamal
Morarka, the other members of the committee.
The five tainted players -- Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja, Mohammad Azaharuddin, Nayan Mongia and Ajay Sharma -- and former team physiotherapist Dr Ali Irani appeared before the committee to explain their conduct. Madhavan did not attend the meeting, but was present at the venue.
After the meeting, Mongia, Sharma, Ali Irani, Jadeja and Prabhakar made their exit from the main door of the hotel while Azaharuddin used the service elevator and employees exit to escape the attention of media persons waiting for him in the hotel lobby.
Later, briefing newsmen, Muthiah said all the players were given the last mandatory chance
to defend themselves.
"Mohammad Azaharuddin," he said, "told the
committee that he had honestly played matches and
never ever got involved in match-fixing. He claimed
that he made no statement before the CBI about his
involvement in match-fixing. He however said that
Madhavan had correctly assessed his case and recorded
his statement truthfully."
When asked if a special attempt is being made to save
Ajay Jadeja, as it seems from Madhavan's report, Muthiah denied knowledge of any such move.
"I am not aware of any special move to save Jadeja," he claimed.
Jadeja, before driving away in his car, told newsmen that he
had been given yet another opportunity to defend
himself and he "used" to opportunity.
"I was given another chance to defend myself and I used the chance. I said the same thing that I had said at the press conference a couple of weeks back. I have nothing new to say. I do know some of the players who have been named as bookies by the CBI. I have nothing more to add," said a harassed-looking Jadeja before driving off.
But after the former allrounder drove away, newsmen were left wondering whose car he was travelling in, because it had a Parliament pass pasted on its front windscreen.
K Madhavan, who accompanied Muthiah at the press briefing, refused to go into the details of the report submitted by him to the BCCI. "I am not answering any
question that will force me to go into the details of
my report," said Madhavan, when asked what made him to
tone down the charges of match-fixing against Manoj
Prabhakar and other players, including Ajay Jadeja.
The CBI disagrees with your finding; they say that
they have enough evidence against the players who
have been named in its report....
"The CBI had done its job. I was given the task to review the CBI report.
With the help of the players I have done my job. I need not necessarily agree with the CBI on all
counts," Madhavan explained.
Madhavan also refused to answer a question regarding former India captain Kapil Dev, when a reporter asked him, 'Did Nayan Mongia tell you that the CBI did not
record his statement properly?'
Mongia had told the CBI that Kapil Dev did visit Prabhakar’s room during the 1994 Singer
Cup, when the former India captain is alleged to
have made an offer of Rs 2.5 million to under perform in a match
against Pakistan.
"I am not answering your question; I will not answer any question regarding my report until it is officially released by the BCCI. It is a confidential report," he said.
Muthiah agreed with Madhavan, saying the report submitted to the board is an internal
report and may or may not be made public.
"Wherever I have made recommendations that a person is
guilty, it's after keeping in view the norms of
evidence required while conducting departmental
inquiry."
Muthiah evaded any direct answer about the quantum of
punishment that might be handed down to the players.
"I have told the media before and I repeat it again,
that a decision regarding the punishment would
be taken only after the special meeting of the board
in Calcutta tomorrow. We might tell you about the
punishment either tomorrow or, maybe, a day later," said the BCCI president.
Manoj Prabhakar, who had earlier left the venue, came
back to address the media.
"I have given my statement
to the board and they have recorded it and given me a
signed copy of my statement. I have questioned the
yardstick that has been applied in my case. I had
quit playing cricket in February 1996. If I met some
persons at the health club, it does not mean that I have
an association with them. I do not know whether those
persons are bookies or punters or not, while some of those who were playing cricket had connections with the bookies as well.
"When I had quit playing in 1996 how
can it be said that my conduct was unbecoming of a
national level player. I did not get in touch with any
member of the Indian cricket team and asked them to
fix matches. The CBI has dubbed me as match fixer. Maybe they wanted to protect someone special,” he said.
Kamal Morarka, vice-president of the BCCI and also a
member of the disciplinary committee, made a statement
that stunned everyone present.
"CBI is more corrupt
than BCCI. You can quote me on this," said Morarka.
However, Muthiah was quick to disassociate himself
from the statement of his colleague. "Let me clarify
that the statement issued by Morarka is not the view
point of the board," Muthiah said.
"With my thirty-five years of experience with the CBI as its officer I
can tell you that the organization has greater
credibility than most of the other government
organisations," said Madhavan.
Mail Cricket Editor