Indian police issue warrant to arrest Prabhakar

Indian police said on Saturday they had issued a warrant for the arrest of banned test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar for his alleged involvement in a financial scandal.

Prabhakar, who was banned last year by India's national cricket board for five years for alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal, was accused in May last year of being involved in a financial scam worth several thousand dollars.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

"We have issued a non-bailable warrant for Prabhakar and have sent it to the Delhi police, who will execute it," A.K. Sharan, director general of police for the northern state of Uttaranchal, where the case was registered, told Reuters over telephone.

The police report was registered in Haldwani by several investors who alleged they had been swindled of money invested in a company, they said was partly run by Prabhakar.

Prabhakar was unavailable for comment and his office told Reuters the former player was out of town for the "last three or four days".

Last year Prabhakar and another test player Ajay Jadeja were banned from the game for five years while former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Sharma were banned for life following an investigation by the Indian board into a federal report on cricket match-fixing.

All the players have denied the charges and Jadeja and Azharuddin have challenged their ban in court.

Mail Cricket Editor