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24th
August
King
Commission report to be made public on Friday
|
Johannesburg,
Aug 24 - The King Commission's interim report on the Hansie
Cronje match-fixing scandal will be made public on Friday morning, a
spokesman for the sports ministry said Wednesday.
Gregory Abrahams, the spokesman for Sport and Recreation Minister Ngconde
Balfour said, "It is being made public on Friday. We will post
it on the government's website,".
The
lengthy, long-awaited report on Cronje's confessions of corruption
was on August 11 handed to Balfour who in turn gave it to President
Thabo Mbeki to study before it could be published.
The United
Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) said it was expecting to receive
a copy of the report on Thursday morning and would hand one to
International Cricket Council president David Richards, who is in
the country.
"We
are getting it tomorrow (Thursday) but we won't comment on it until
Monday when we make public the findings of the disciplinary
hearings," UCB spokeswoman Bronwyn Wilkinson told AFP.
The UCB
will Monday announce what disciplinary action it will take against
Herschelle Gibbs, Henry Williams and Pieter Strydom, three players
who were implicated in corruption in the course of hearings into the
Cronje scandal.
Gibbs and
Williams told the commission that Cronje, sacked as South Africa's
skipper in April, had offered them money to underperform in matches
against India this year, while Strydom made an attempt to place a
bet on behalf of Cronje during a Test match.
In
testimony that shook the cricket world, Cronje admitted to the
commission that he received thousands of dollars from gamblers and
bookmakers on five separate occasions between 1996 and 2000.
The
initial shock by the South African public at Cronje's confessions
has given way to anger as the one-time idol has revealed himself to
be manipulating and money-loving, and had corrupted other players.
The report
should be read with interest though Judge Edwin King has made no
recommendations for disciplinary action against the players, nor has
he made any finding on whether Cronje had told the whole truth and
should therefore receive indemnity from criminal prosecution.
Judge King
has said that further evidence could emerge when the commission
reconvenes on October 2 for a second set of hearings expected to
last about two weeks.
King
has asked for the terms of reference of the commission to be
broadened as a result of the evidence that came up in the first
hearings in July.
Back
|
23rd
August
CBI
to finalise preliminary report soon
NEW DELHI: The
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is finalising the preliminary report
on its first four-month probe into the match-fixing and betting scandal
that took the country by storm in April-May.
CBI sources
said, “The process of finalisation of the report has started and it
would take about 15 days before it is submitted to the government.” The
report is being prepared by the CBI team led by joint director R N Sawani.
Union sports
minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had informed the Rajya Sabha last week that
the CBI would be submitting the preliminary report in September. However
CBI refuses to acknowledge, it is reliably learnt that it was directed to
speed up its investigation and submit its report. But considering that the
completion of the probe on all aspects of the matter would take some more
time, it was asked to come out with its initial findings at the earliest.
The report is
likely to indicate the extent to which match-fixing and betting was
prevalent in Indian cricket and the steps required to curb them. It may
also hint about the failures, which led to the prospering of the crime.
Though,
it was unlikely that the premier investigating agency will name any
cricketer or officials, both present or past, in its report. The report
will be submitted to the sports ministry and it will be upto it to decide
whether to make the recommendations public. However, the Bureau has
started preparing the report, the investigation will continue. The report
will cover CBI findings between May two, when the agency started probing
the matter, and August 31.
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22nd
August
Shastri
deposes before CBI
New Delhi: Former Indian skipper Ravi Shastri, who is the lone person to have
corroborated Manoj Prabhakar's charge of offer of bribery against Kapil
Dev, has recorded his statement to CBI in the match-fixing scandal. The
sources said Shastri deposed before the agency's special crime branch and
was questioned by them recently for nearly an hour.
Shastri,
corroborated Prabhakar's claim that he had briefed about Kapil's alleged
offer of a bribe of Rs. 25 Lakhs to Prabhakar to under perform in a match
against Pakistan during a 1994 triangular series in Sri Lanka. However,
Kapil Dev has denied Prabhakar's allegations.
Sources
said that Shastri was questioned about his comments made on the portal
against the functioning of cricket board. CBI has so far recorded
statements of 15 cricket-related persons.
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Kapil
Dev silent over Board decision
NEW DELHI:
National coach Kapil Dev on Monday chose to remain silent over the
deliberations of the cricket board's working committee at which his recent
critical utterances were discussed.
Kapil Dev had
gone on record last week criticising the board's functioning and expressed
his desire to quit the game saying the match-fixing charges and the
"unprofessional attitude" of cricket officials had put him off
the game.
Reacting to the
all-rounder's charge, the working committee at its meeting in Bangalore on
Sunday authorised board president A C Muthiah to take "necessary
action" after talking to the former India captain.
He said the
meeting resolved not to 'wait' (till the general body meeting on September
29) and authorised him to take 'whatever action you deem it fit in the
interest of players and the board'.
When contacted
here, Kapil Dev refused to comment saying he was yet to hear from the
board or its president.
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Curbs
imposed on cricketers
BANGALORE: Indian
cricketers and team officials, in future, have been barred from carrying
cellphones to the ground, both during practise sessions and match days.
They
“shall not not use any communication equipment on/off the ground
from the time they leave the hotel till the time they return to the hotel
at the end of the game for the particular day, without the prior
permission of the manager. No cell phone shall be carried to the ground
either during practice session or on actual days,” the new code of
conduct finalised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India working
committee said.
The ban on
carrying cellphones came in the wake of allegations that bookies were
getting information on pitch conditions, status of the match and other
information through cell phones. It was also alleged that players were
busy answering cell phones during practise sessions rather than
concentrating on the strecthout and nets.
The board also
decided to rein in players and officials with an interesting rule in the
additional regulation. “No player/team official shall make any
unsubstantiated allegation against any player, team official or
administrator (present or past) in public through media or otherwise with
respect to the breaches stated above and shall not comment on any matter
relating to the functioning of the board unless and until the said
allegation is brought to the notice of the president in writing and a
decision is reached by the board on that behalf. As far as possible, the
board shall decide on the said matters within a period of six months.”
The board had
decided to act tough on those concealing or carrying injuries to the
tournaments by imposing severe punishment. There have been many cases of
players hiding their injury and opting out of the matches at the eleventh
hour.
The board had
also made it mandatory for all to declare the expensive gifts/cash they
receive. “If any player/coach/umpire receive any gift in cash or in kind
for value exceeding Rs 50,000, he shall inform the same in writing to the
board within a period of 15 days from the date of such receipt,” the
code said.
Violation of
the additional regulations could attract a reprimand and/or a fine up to
Rs one lakh and/ or a ban upto a maximum of five one-day internationals
and/or three Test matches.
The code was
approved by the working committee of the BCCI here on Sunday.
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Delhi
Police probe hampered by overseas delays
Delhi:
Delhi police said on Monday it had
'excellent' evidence to prop up charges of match-fixing against South
Africa's Hansie Cronje, but complained its probe was being hampered by
delays overseas.
Police,
however, said that there was no deadline for prosecuting the four South
Africans in an Indian court.
"The delay
in our probe is in the investigations abroad," KK Paul, Joint Police
Commissioner who heads the elite Crime Branch department, said.
Paul did not
elaborate but other police sources said prosecution could only begin at
the conclusion of an overseas probe being conducted by Interpol on behalf
of the Delhi Police.
The local
police had sought Interpol's help in questioning a London-based Indian
bookmaker, Sanjay Chawla, and checking the bank accounts of other bookies
and cricket players connected to the Cronje probe.
Some detectives
have accused Interpol of delaying its investigations, but Paul insisted
the complexity of the case meant it would take time.
The Crime
Branch has already arrested three bookies in India and a failed movie
actor in connection with the scandal, and Paul said they had built up a
strong case against Cronje.
"We have
now excellent evidence and a very strong case but still we don't want to
rush with our investigations."
The Crime
Branch taped Cronje's conversations with the London-based Chawla, before
lodging criminal cases against Cronje, Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and
Pieter Strydom in April this year.
The four
cricketers were charged with fixing some of the matches South Africa
played against India during their tour of the subcontinent in March.
Paul did not
specify a time-frame for the formal prosecution of the tainted players.
"It will take time as there are many aspects which need
investigating," he said.
Paul said the
name of a fifth South African player, Henry Williams, had cropped up
several times in the taped conversations of Cronje and Chawla.
"Williams will be part of the overseas investigations," Paul
said.
Paul's comments
came a day after Union Minister for Sports Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said
Police was making 'frantic' efforts to extradite Cronje to India. Mr
Dhindsa told a private TV network that the process was likely to take time
as India and South Africa have no extradition treaty.
A South African
team of prosecutors is scheduled to visit India later this month and New
Delhi hopes to reopen extradition negotiations then, sources said.
Mr
Dhindsa said the CBI would hand over its probe report to Government early
next month.
Back
21st
August
BCCI
approved Code of conduct
Bangalore:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approved a code
of conduct under which a player involved in betting and match-fixing can
be expelled from the game for a minimum of five years or a maximum of ban
for the life.
The much
awaited code, decided at the working committee meeting of the Board, also
makes it mandatory for players to disclose gifts received both in cash or
kind if it exceeded Rs 50,000, within 15 days of its receipt.
BCCI president
A C Muthiah said that the code would be applicable to ‘everybody’.
Muthiah also announced the appointment of former joint director of CBI,
Madhavan, to do “introspection of TV and sponsorship rights,” as also
act as commissioner of enquiry, to be conducted under the code.
He said if
there were any violation in the code of conduct, Madhavan would look into
it and advise the Board on the action to be taken. Madhavan’s job also
included ensuring transparency in awarding television and sponsorship
rights, he added.
“We have
finalised the long awaited regulations of the Board (code of conduct).
It’s a very important step for the future of the Indian cricket
board,” Muthiah said.
The code of
conduct would come into force immediately but some amendments would be
made at the general body meeting on September 29 to give it
“authority” and it would come into effect from October 1.
He also
announced the appointment of soil expert Kasturirangan of Karnataka as
chief curator. He would prepare pitches of international standards. The
code of conduct makes it mandatory for players and managers not to use any
communication equipment (mobile phones) within the venue and not to leak
any information relating to the match.
“They shall
not write, publish and assist any person on matters relating to any
strategy decided by the team. Except the captain and coach, they are not
permitted to write and express views in media,” it said.
According
to the code, all prize money received in foreign currency should be
deposited with the Board, which would give them equal Indian currency.
They have been barred from taking anybody, except their wives, with them
on tours, and from inviting anybody into the dressing room without the
permission of the Board. The BCCI chief said he explained at the meeting
regarding the CBI questioning him, BCCI secretary J Y Lele and treasurer
Kishore Rungta. “I explained on the meeting (with BI) to exchange views
and thoughts on certain information they (CBI) had,” he said.
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Kapil
is disturbed person: Muthiah
Bangalore: The
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) authorised its president A C
Muthiah to hold discussions with national coach Kapil Dev, who has
reportedly criticised the Board’s functioning and expressed the desire
to quit the game, and take “any action he deems fit.”
After a working
committee meeting of the BCCI Muthiah said that the meet deliberated on
the comments made by Kapil in New Delhi last week. Muthiah said,
“Obviously, he (Kapil Dev) looks like a disturbed person. He has made
emotional outbursts. The Board authorised the president to call Kapil,
have a discussion and take whatever decision he deems fit,”He
said he would talk to Kapil dev soon. “In the next few days... When I am
in Delhi I will call him. He (Kapil Dev) normally does not do that (make
such statements). I do not know (what happened). Normally he has great
confidence. We want to know why all this reaction... What he genuinely
feels,” Muthiah said.
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Ruling
on Williams, Gibbs on Aug 28
Durban: South
African cricket board's disciplinary committee confirmed that Herschelle
Gibbs and Henry Williams were involved in match-fixing, a day after the
two admitted of being guilty of taking money to play below par, and will
announce penalties on them on August 28.
The disgraced
cricketers appeared before the United Cricket Board of South Africa's
three-man disciplinary committee in Johannesburg on Saturday, and
testified that they had agreed to accept a bribe from former captain
Hansie Cronje to throw a one-day international match against India in
Nagpur on March 19.
However, Pieter
Strydom pleaded innocence. The committee has not yet made any ruling on
Strydom. Gibbs is likely to be banned from international cricket for at
least a year for his role in the Cronje match-fixing scandal, the UCB
sources said.
Pace bowler
Henry Williams, is likely to be fined, while Strydom is expected to escape
with a caution, they said.
Back
20th
August
Gibbs
likely to be banned for a year
JOHANNESBURG,
Aug 19: All
three South African players appeared before a United Cricket Board (UCB)
disciplinary committee here Saturday, Gibbs and Williams pleading guilty
to match-fixing with Strydom maintaining his innocence.
Herschelle
Gibbs is likely to be banned from international cricket for at least a
year for his role in the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal. Another
cricketer, pace bowler Henry Williams, is likely to be fined, with a
third, Pieter Strydom, expected to escape with a caution. The disciplinary
hearing follows evidence given by the three players to a commission of
inquiry into the Cronje match-fixing scandal by retired judge Mervyn King
in June.
Gibbs,
at 26 one of South Africa's most promising batsmen, and Williams, who is
in his early thirties, admitted before the King Commission to accepting an
offer of 15,000 dollars from Cronje to throw a match in Nagpur earlier
this year.
Gibbs
said, however, he had "forgotten" to lose his wicket for less
than 20 runs as he had agreed and went on to make 74.
Williams,
who was to concede more than 50 runs from his 10 overs, only bowled 11
balls before pulling up injured. Neither player was paid the promised
15,000 dollars as South Africa won the match.
Gibbs
has also been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by lying to
the UCB when he denied receiving any offers of financial reward after the
scandal broke.
It
appears that Gibbs would be given a minimum of a year's banishment from
the game and Williams a financial penalty and possible suspended sentence.
The
findings of the disciplinary hearing are to be released on August 28.
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Indian
cricket board to question Kapil following outburst
Bangalore:
Indian cricket officials are expected to take national coach Kapil Dev to
task at a general meeting for making derogatory comments against them,
officials said here Saturday.
President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, A.C. Muthiah, said
Kapil would be asked to explain comments he made about the board during
the meeting to be held in Bangalore on Sunday.
"We will discuss it in the board here tomorrow. It will naturally
come up. Members will raise the issue," Muthiah told reporters
Earlier,
the present Indian Coach Kapil Dev, in an interview with AFP on Friday had
attacked the BCCI officials for messing up the game. He had said, "If
the Board had acted earlier, the game's reputation would not have
suffered. "It's a consequence of the Board not being in the hands of
professionals. It's no use having honorary people who have other jobs to
do and are not accountable to anyone," said Kapil
In response to
this the BCCI chief A.C Muthiah said the board will examine the statements
of Kapil, who was hired last year by the BCCI on a two year contract.
"Each one has the liberty to say what he likes in this country. There
is freedom of speech.
"In
what context has he said we are not professionals?" the BCCI chief
asked. "Maybe we are all honorary office-bearers and that's why he (Kapil)
is saying that, let us hear what he has to say," Muthiah said.
Kapil had also
said that he did not have any contact from the BBCI regarding his future
as coach, adding match-fixing charges against him forced him to cut all
ties with the game. The
BCCI is also expected to discuss the fall-out of the match-fixing scandal
involving several national players and officials during Sunday's meeting.
Muthiah has said players being probed, like Kapil, former captain Mohammad
Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, will not be punished unless they are found
guilty by federal authorities.
But
the Indian board is under pressure from sports minister S.S Dhindsa, who
wants the tainted players to step down on moral grounds
Back
19th
August
| Cricketers
Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams admit taking money for
playing badly |
JOHANNESBURG,
Aug 19 - South African cricketers Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams admit taking
money for playing badly in
a one-day international match in India. The
players made the confession while appearing before the United
Cricket Board (UCB) disciplinary commission into the match-fixing
scandal involving former South African captain Hansie Cronje.
The
plan was for opening batsman Gibbs to score fewer than 20 runs,
while medium pace bowler Williams was to concede more than 50 runs
in his 10 overs. But neither followed through on the deal, with
Gibbs scoring 74 and Williams unable to bowl more than 1.5 overs
because of an injury.
Fitzgerald
called for a suspended sentence for his clients, arguing that both
Gibbs and Williams had not carried out the plan to throw the match
and were heavily influenced by Cronje.
Both
admitted to accepting an offer of $15,000 from Cronje before a match
in Nagpur earlier this year.
Gibbs
was also charged with bringing the game into disrepute by lying to
the UCB when he denied receiving any offers of financial reward
after the scandal broke.
However,
UCB representative Brendan Manca called for a harsher sentence
saying that the commission should not lose sight of the seriousness
of the charges against the cricketers.
He
pointed out that the International Cricket Council had recommended a
maximum sentence of a life ban in regard to offences of
match-fixing.
Back
|
Kapil
to close all ties with cricket
NEW DELHI,
August 18: A disgusted Kapil Dev on Friday said he will have
nothing to do with the game after his current assignment as
coach of the national team ends.
Buffetted by charge of having offered to bribe his
pace mate Manoj Prabhakar to underperform as part of
match-fixing, Kapil Dev said, "if this is what I get
for my services to the game, I do not want to be part of
it".
In an emotional outburst Kapil said,” who is under
investigation by income tax as also CBI, said, "I know
I am clean. I have nothing to hide".
"My
life has changed for ever. I am a fighter, but I know it's time to move on
when the media hounds my five-year-old daughter and asks her how much
money was recovered from under the bed."
It is the end of my days with cricket. It has not been
worth the bother and trauma my family and I have gone through", he
said his decision was final.
Kapil,
however, said it was up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to determine whether he should serve out his two-year term as
national coach.
"I
took on the job last year, despite my heavy business commitments, because
I wanted to give something back to the game.
"I
never shirked responsibility during my playing days, and will not do so
now. If they want me for one more year, then fine.
"I
will do the job to the best of my ability. But after that I will have
nothing to do with cricket," he said.
Kapil Dev, who began his two-year stint as national
coach last year, said it was now for the cricket board to decide whether
he should complete his term or not.
The Board is expected to discuss the match fixing and
other problems that have besetted it at its meeting in Bangalore over the
weekend.
Board
chief A.C. Muthiah has said players being investigated, like Kapil, former
captain Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, will not be punished unless
they are found guilty by federal authorities.
But
the BCCI is under pressure from sports minister Sukhdev Dhindsa, who wants
the tainted players to step down on moral grounds.
Kapil
argues: "I have done nothing wrong. Why should I resign because my
house has been raided by income-tax authorities?
"By
that reckoning, everyone who has been raided should step down."
Kapil,
Test cricket's most successful bowler till West Indian Courtney Walsh
overtook him in March this year, took a swipe at cricket officials for
messing up the game.
Kapil
said no BCCI official had spoken or written to him to indicate if he will
continue as coach.
He
hoped the government will release their findings soon, so that the guilty
are not punished and the innocent spared the trial by media.
Back
Indian
match-fixing probe to end by mid September
BANGALORE, Aug 18 -
The president of India's cricket board said the investigation into
allegations of match-fixing was likely to end by mid-September. Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president A.C. Muthiah said,
"They will most probably wind up the investigations by September 15.
That's what we want...otherwise the morale of the players is going
down."
He said the board had asked the federal
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete its probe at the
earliest and the agency had agreed to the request.
The Indian government in April ordered the
CBI to conduct an official investigation into match-fixing following
public pressure after allegations of match-fixing or betting were made
against top Indian players. The BCCI president said that any player found
guilty of match-fixing would be dropped from the squad even if he
qualified to be in the squad.
Muthiah said that he had not received any
communication from former captain Kapil Dev about him quitting the job as
Indian team coach.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Dev
as saying that he did not want to be connected with the game in any way
after the end of his two-year stint as national coach.
According to sources, Dev said," It is
the end of my days with cricket. It has not been worth the bother and
trauma my family and I have gone through."
Back
18th
August
BCCI
treasurer re-examined by the CBI
NEW DELHI:
Cricket board treasurer Kishore Rungta was on Thursday re-examined by the
CBI in connection with the match-fixing scandal.
Rungta, who
appeared before the CBI for the second time, recorded his statement and
also submitted the board's balance sheet, sources said.
He had earlier
deposed before the agency on August 4 along with board president A C
Muthiah and secretary Jaywant Lele. Though the CBI maintained silence over
what transpired during the hour-long meeting, Rungta told reporters
outside the agency headquarters: "We discussed general things and
exchanged information and besides this they wanted some
clarifications."
During the
raids, CBI officials had surveyed Rungta's premises in Jaipur from where
some fixed deposits recipts were reportedly recovered.
The BCCI
treasurer denied that the CBI had asked any questions about interviews by
some board officials on a portal. Lele has been shown on a website making
some "nasty" comments, the video filming for which was done
clandestinely by former test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar.
With this
deposition, the agency has so far recorded statements of 12
cricket-related persons including Delhi Cricket Association secretary
Sunil Dev, former BCCI president I S Bindra, former team manager Ajit
Wadekar, cricketers Manoj Prabhakar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Navjot Sidhu,
Nayan Mongia, Ajay Jadeja and Nikhil Chopra besides some bookies.
Rungta, Sidhu
and Wadekar have been examined twice while Prabhakar has held three
meetings so far.
Back
NEW DELHI:
The Delhi High Court on Thursday dropped contempt proceedings against two
cricket fans who had opened a website containing allegations of
irregularities against the officials of Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI).
BCCI counsel
Radha Rangaswamy contended that Rahul Mehra and Shantanu Sharma had
launched a website for a media trial against the board. This amounts to
clear interference in the administration of justice and contempt of court,
she said.
On April 20,
Mehra and Sharma filed a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging
irregularities in BCCI's functioning after the match-fixing controversy
broke out. A week ago, a division bench of Chief Justice Arijit Pasayat
and Justice D.K. Jain took strong exception to their fascination for media
publicity before hearings started on their allegations. Mehra and Sharma
later tendered an apology and promised to crash the website.
The
judges said they were convinced that Mehra and Sharma made efforts to
demolish the website. Hence, proceedings against them may be dropped.
Back
17th August
Dhindsa
unhappy with board's attitude
New Delhi:
Union sports minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has said that he was unhappy
with BCCI's attitude towards the inquiry into the match-fixing.
Dhindsa said
“I had some reservations against the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI). They were not responding to our queries properly, their
attitude was not positive. They were also adopting delaying tactics but
they met me recently and have assured me that in future they will
cooperate with the sports ministry”.
Dhindsa also
said relations with Pakistan would continue to be a factor for clearance
of the Indian cricket team even if a third team is involved in next
month's Sahara Cup.
“There is no
proposal with us as yet, if it comes we will still consider whether
relations with Pakistan have improved or deteorarated before allowing the
team to go to Toronto.”
However,
the sports minister discounted the view that there was a fight going on
between the ministry and the BCCI. Dhindsa said, “My aim was not to
interfere in the functioning of an autonomous body but when the scandal
broke out, the whole nation urged. Parties cutting across party lines in
the parliament demanded a thorough enquiry and so I had to order the CBI
to look into the matter.”
Back
16th August
Azhar
likely to be questioned
CAPE TOWN:
Shamila Batohi, leader of evidence in South Africa's King Commission of
Inquiry, would likely to question former Indian cricket captain Mohammed
Azharuddin and other cricket figures when she arrives in India in the next
few weeks.
John Bacon, a
spokesman for the Commission confirmed that Batohi and investigator
captain Geoff Edwards will spend a week in India during which they will
talk to Delhi Police, prosecutors investigating allegations of match
fixing, cricket authorities and players, and even the Indian nationals
currently under arrest in the investigation.
"We are
currently trying to finalise appointments for Batohi and Edwards to do all
this within the week that they will be in Mumbai, but we cannot yet
confirm when they will be leaving South Africa," Bacon said.
"They will
certainly be wanting to talk to Azharuddin and also to listen closely to
the tapes in the possession of the Indian police," Bacon said. He
said the possibility that the Commission might ask Azharuddin to come to
Cape Town to testify when the hearings resume on October 2 also existed.
Bacon
also denied earlier media reports that the King Commission has summoned
London-based Chawla to appear before the Commission. "No subpoena has
been served on Chawla, and we will treat him as we would any other witness
in the hearings," he said.
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14th August
Johannesburg: Disgraced South African cricket captain
Hansie Cronje is still silent on the controversy surrounding his reported
attempts to make money from books, movies and television programmes and
match fixing.
In spite of a thinly concealed warning by sports
minister Ngconde Balfour, at the handing over of the King Commission
interim report on Friday, that his indemnity from prosecution had still
not been finalized. However he did not spell it out specifically, it was
clear that Balfour was warning Cronje that any new information that he
might provide in his proposed books and television interviews.
Meanwhile, Judge King confirmed that he had asked for
the terms of reference of the commission to be extended so that it could
investigate allegations about other cricketing irregularities that emerged
since the investigation was started.
The majority of South Africans want Cronje to be
punished strictly after his admissions to the King Commission of Inquiry
to having accepted bribe from bookmakers. In a turnabout where almost all
South Africans considered Cronje to be a national hero just a few months
ago, a third of them now want to send him to prison, and half feel that he
should never be allowed to play international cricket again.
Cronje's fall from public grace will further influence
the actions that are still to be taken against him pending the final
recommendations of the King Commission.
Back
Johannesburg: Dates for the visit of Shamila Batohi,
leader of evidence in the King Commission of Inquiry into cricket
match-fixing, to India is yet to be finalized to investigate further the
alleged involvement of disgraced captain Hansie Cronje and other South
African cricketers with bookmakers.
Although, Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour said he had
the necessary letters of authority for the visit by Batohi and
investigator Captain Geoff Edwards who will leave as soon as possible to
listen to the tapes in possession of Delhi Police that originally led to
the Commission being established.
Commission chairman judge Edwin King said the team
would also gather additional evidence while they were in India. Delhi
Police have promised their fullest cooperation, and the possibility of
Batohi seeking interviews with leading Indian cricket players and
officials who are under investigation by Indian authorities has not been
ruled out.
Back
13th August
Sanjay Chawla could be the star witness
in SA
London, August 12:
Sanjay Chawla, who allegedly offered money to former South African cricket
captain Hansie Cronje to throw away matches, could be the star witness
when the King Commission resumes its hearing in Cape Town on October 2.
Negotiations have been going on between the Commission investigators and
Chawla's lawyers in London, regarding the terms under which Chawla would
be prepared to travel to Cape Town.
Chawla,
through his lawyer has consistently denied any involvement and will
contest any extradition. A two-member CBI team was here recently in its
effort to track down Chawla but returned to Delhi without much success.
An
interim report of the findings of the King Commission so far was submitted
by Judge Edwin King to the South African President Thabo Mbeki. The
commission has often emphasized that there is a long way to go and Chawla
is seen as a key figure.
Cronje,
during his evidence before the commission in June, admitted meeting Chawla
just before the South African tour of India, which began in February this
year. Chawla, who owns a readymade garment shop at the Oxford Circus here,
has gone underground ever since the match-fixing episode surfaced and the
Indian High Commission here has revoked the passport issued to him. Cronje
also admitted to having accepted money from him but denied he ever threw
any match. Cronje claimed to have met Chawla in India also when, he said,
the latter gave him his mobile phone.
Meanwhile,
the lead lawyer for the King Commission, Shamila Batohi and one of the
investigators Geoff Edwards, are to visit India to seek the tapes after
their repeated requests to send the tapes to South Africa were declined by
the Indian authorities. Batohi's attempts to question Cronje on the
information in the tapes was successfully objected to by Cronje's lawyers
who claimed the authenticity of the tapes had not been established.
South
African investigators badly need the tapes to get to the bottom of the
match-fixing case or to determine whether Cronje is telling them the
truth. All they have now are a few pages of transcripts released by Delhi
Police.
Back
BRISBANE –The South African
cricket team slipped into Brisbane Saturday unconcerned over an interim
report into the country's match-fixing scandal.
Captain Shaun Pollock, speaking at
Brisbane airport, ahead of next week's one-day series against Australia,
said the morale of the team was unlikely to be affected by the findings of
the report.
"Not at all, there's been a
cloud hanging over our head for the last few months ever since the story
broke," he said. "I don't think it's going to reveal anything
new so the chaps aren't worried about it at all."
Judge Edwin King, who heads the
commission inquiry into match fixing, handed the South African government
his report Friday but said it did not contain any final recommendations.
The inquiry has centered on admissions disgraced South African cricket
captain Hansie Cronje accepted bribes of more than 100,000 US dollars from
bookies since1996.
Two other South African players,
Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams have also admitted to being offered
money by Cronje to play below their best in matches against India this
year.
The United Cricket Board of South
Africa has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for the three players in
Johannesburg on August 19.
Back
Gibbs,
Strydom and Williams to face disciplinary action
The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) has
confirmed that suspended South African cricketers Herschelle Gibbs, Henry
Williams and Pieter Strydom will face disciplinary charges arising out of
evidence given by them at the King commission.
The hearings will be held on Saturday, August 19,
2000. The disciplinary committee will consist of former judge Mervyn King,
Michael Kuper and the president of the Black Lawyers Association, Jake
Moloi.
"The UCB believed it was prudent not to convene
the disciplinary hearings until after the commission's Interim Report was
released," said UCB managing director Ali Bacher. Further, he said
that Bacher said the disciplinary committee will meet with the General
Council of the UCB on Sunday, August 27, 2000 and the findings will be
made public on Monday August 28. The disciplinary committee will decide their fate next
Saturday, but it will only be made known publicly more than a week later.
Back
Cronje
indemnity brought into question again
JOHANNESBURG: A question mark has been put over the
indemnity from prosecution that has been promised to disgraced South
African cricket captain Hansie Cronje after comments to local media by his
close friend and confidante, Pastor Ray McCauley.
Pastor McCauley, who has been close to Cronje since he
first joined the South African squad almost a decade ago, hinted while
addressing the Johannesburg Press Club that Cronje might not have revealed
everything he knew about cricket match-fixing during his testimony to the
King commission of Inquiry in Cape Town in June.
National Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani
Ngcuka, had said in June that if commission chairman judge Edwin King was
satisfied that Cronje had told the whole truth, he would not be
prosecuted.
McCauley was responding to a question from the floor
about his opinion of Cronje's honesty at the commission. "I believe
he has answered everything truthfully, but I do not know if he was asked
everything," McCauley said. "I am not saying that he has hidden
anything, but there are more sportsmen that did what he did, but that
never came up (at the commission)."
McCauley said he had gone on many tours with the South
African team as the unofficial chaplain, and had never known Cronje to
take any calls from bookmakers. But McCauley was not with the team when
they toured India earlier this year. Revelations by Delhi Police of taped
discussions between Cronje and bookmakers led to the commission being
established. Cronje admitted at the hearings to having accepted money from
them.
McCauley's statements have reopened the debate about
whether Cronje was only talking about what he felt he had to say. In some
circles, it is still felt that Cronje, who also revealed that he had
received death threats, was covering up for others who were also involved
in the scandal. The commission, which reconvenes on October 2, has not
ruled out the possibility of recalling Cronje as a witness.
Back
Sonia Gandhi stresses to investigate
match fixing
Hyderabad, August 11: Addressing a national training camp of Congress students wing
National Students Union of India (NSUI), the Congress president, Sonia
Gandhi said that scandal, which is being probed by CBI, had disturbed all,
particularly the youth, in the country. Further she demanded that probe
into the cricket match fixing scandal should be on top national priority
blaming the BJP-led NDA government at the center for the alleged failure
of the investigating agencies to come out with any break through so far in
the ‘Match Fixing Saga’.
Back
12th August
King
submits report to the Government
Cape Town: Judge
Edwin King handed his interim report into the country's match-fixing
scandal to the South African government, stressing it made no final
recommendations.
“There has
been a measure on speculation that has been quite unfounded,” King said
as he handed the report to sports minister Ngconde Balfour and justice
minister Penuell Maduna.
“It is a
confidential report and I would like to stress that it is an interim
report requested by the president. There is no finality.”
Gibbs, Henry
Williams and Pieter Strydom have each been suspended after admitting
during open hearings in June to having accepted bribes of $15,000 from
Cronje to under-perform. However, all three have also said under oath they
did not receive the money because they had not fulfilled their part of the
agreement.
The report,
which will be passed on to president Thabo Mbeki, details the progress to
date in gathering evidence against the trio and disgraced South Africa
captain Hansie Cronje.
King said last
week his investigators were still hard at work gathering evidence for the
hearings. They will resume on October two and are expected to last about
two weeks after which King will make his final recommendations to the
government. Witnesses, including Cronje, are expected to be recall to the
stand during the resumed hearings.
The interim
report will only have the findings of the inquiry and no recommendations
on the future of the involved players.
"I will not
be making any recommendations at this stage as I will still have to hear
evidence from Hansie Cronje and others again," Judge King said.
The
United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) has scheduled a disciplinary
hearing for the three players in Johannesburg on August 19.
Back
Players
who confessed may be spared
Johannesburg: The interim
report of the King Commission of Inquiry into cricket match-fixing, which
was presented to South African President Thabo Mbeki on Friday, may not
recommend action against players who admitted to being involved in
match-fixing deals, the commission has indicated.
Commission
chairman Justice Edwin King will hand the report today to the sports and
justice ministers, who will be representing President Mbeki. No copies
will be made available to the media or any other parties until the
president clears the report, Bacon said.
Former national
players Herschelle Gibbs, Pieter Strydom and Henry Williams had testified
at the commission in June that they had been approached by former South
African captain Hansie Cronje to throw matches. They did not inform their
employer, the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB), about this.
Gibbs and Williams admitted that they had accepted the offer but reneged
once they were on the field.
The future of
Gibbs, Williams and Strydom also hangs in the balance. The UCB has
suspended them pending the findings of the King Commission. However, it
has put in place a three-man disciplinary committee to consider any
actions that might be recommended by the commission.
Cronje and his
legal representatives will also be awaiting the release of the report with
keen interest. King has to decide whether he is fully satisfied that
Cronje told the whole truth at the commission. This is the condition under
which Cronje was promised indemnity from prosecution by the South African
government.
Back
Gibbs
suspension cost him $100,000
Cape Town:
South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs, implicated in cricket
match-fixing offers by disgraced captain Hansie Cronje, has already lost
more than $100,000 since his suspension by the United Cricket Board (UCB)
two months ago.
Gibbs has been
barred by lawyers from talking to the media, but his father, Herman Gibbs,
revealed in an interview in the Cape Times that he has paid a heavy price
for his indiscretion. He said two major sponsors had cancelled their
contracts which were worth more than $60,000 and the other losses were
from bonuses and cancelled public engagements.
The UCB has been
waiting for King's interim report and has set up a disciplinary panel to
take any action recommended in the report. But King has said the report
can only be made public by President Thabo Mbeki.
Although the UCB
would not speculate on it, Gibbs, one of the most talented young players
in South Africa, could well be back in the international squad, which
begins playing in Australia next weekend, or in Singapore when they play
the opening one-day in the Singer Cup.
Back
11th August
King
to recommend life ban for two players
Johannesburg:
Judge Edwin King, head of a commission of inquiry into the Hansie Cronje
match-fixing scandal, is expected to recommend suspended life bans for two
players who admitted agreeing to help throw matches. King is due to
deliver an interim report on his findings so far to president Thabo Mbeki
on Friday.
Opening batsman
Herschelle Gibbs and bowler Henry Williams have told the commission that
Cronje had offered them money to under perform in matches against India
this year.
The United
Cricket Board of South Africa have said they will convene a disciplinary
hearing soon after the interim report is released.
Cronje has
admitted to the commission that he received thousands of dollars from
gamblers and bookmakers on five separate occasions between 1996 and 2000.
He has already
resigned himself to a life-long ban from first class cricket and instead
is busy negotiating television and book deals, amid reports of a pending
movie deal.
The initial
shock by the South African public at Cronje's confessions to dealing with
bookmakers, which led to him being sacked as South African skipper in
April, has given way to anger as the one-time cricketing idol has revealed
himself to be manipulating and deceitful, motivated by greed and a love of
money.
Gibbs loses
huge sponsorship deal: Meanwhile, Gibbs has lost 700,000 rand (approx
Rs 45 lakh) in sponsorships and other fees since his withdrawal from the
national team over the match-fixing scandal, his father Hermann disclosed
this in an interview to a newspaper here.
Gibbs (sr) said
two companies had cancelled a lucrative 12-month sponsorship that would
have netted the the 26-year- old cricketer 400,000 rand (approx Rs 27 lakh).
Another 300,000 rand (Rs 21 lakh) was to be given as bonuses and fees for
public engagements.
He said he was
hoping that his son would be pardoned and allowed to continue his
cricketing career once again.
During his
testimony to the King commission, Herschelle had admitted entering into an
agreement to score less than 25 runs in a one-dayer against India early
this year. He was offered $15,000 by the then skipper Hansie Cronje for
this arrangement.
But during the
match, Herschelle said, he forgot about the agreement and went on to score
70 runs.
Meanwhile,
former South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson, who is also an attorney
acting for Gibbs and the other player Henry Williams, has said the two
players should be pardoned in the same way that Australian Mark Waugh and
Shane Warne had been allowed to continue their cricketing careers.
Back
10th August
No
quick fix for corruption: ACB chief
Canberra:
Australian cricket chief Malcolm Speed said there was no quick
fix for corruption and match-fixing scandals that have rocked the world
game recently.
“It may not
be something that we can say within a month, within three months, within a
year we have weeded out the people involved in the evils of
match-fixing,’’ Speed said.
Speaking at a
National Press Club lunch, Speed said he would only agree to a full audit
of players’ bank accounts if the players themselves consented.
“That’s an issue that I’d certainly want to talk to the players
about and see whether they were comfortable. I’d want to talk to the
Players’ Association and the Board of Directors and see whether they
were comfortable with it too,’’ Speed said.
Speed
said Australian Test batsman Mark Waugh had already taken the lead on the
issue. Waugh said last month he was prepared to have his financial records
scrutinised to prove he told the truth about his dealings with an Indian
bookmaker. In India, tax officials recently conducted a nationwide search
of the homes and offices of several leading players and officials.
Back
Govt
examining SA request on Cronje tapes
New Delhi: Government
was examining the request made by South Africa's King commission of
inquiry into cricket match-fixing scandal of providing a copy of the
tape-recorded conversation of Hansie Cronje, minister of state for
external affairs Ajit Kumar Panja informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In
a written reply to Vilas Muttemwar and Anil Basu "The concerned
authorities in the government of India are examining the request within
the framework of the existing laws of the land.”
The King
commission has approached the government of India for a copy of the
tape-recorded conversations of sacked South African skipper Cronje and a
copy of the FIR filed by the Delhi Police, the minister said.
Back
9th
August
Salim
Malik challenges Pak board
Karachi:
Former Pakistan captain Salim Malik has challenged the authority
of the Pakistan Cricket Board, which banned him for life earlier this
year. Malik told the Board he was innocent of the match-fixing charges
against him and said he was not given the same treatment as other players
because he was no longer on the national team.
According to the
sources Malik sent the Board a letter saying “it did not have the
authority to impose any punishment on him nor prevent him from pursuing
his lawful livelihood.”
Malik and
paceman Ata-ur-Rehman were banned for life by the board in May, acting on
the recommendations of a judicial inquiry report, which was investigating
accusations of match-fixing. Another former captain, Wasim Akram, and a
number of other players were censured and fined for either bringing the
game into disrepute or failing to co-operate with the inquiry.
“I
am not to be denied equal treatment and be discriminated against simply
because I am no longer good enough to be a member of the Pakistan team and
my respected colleague still has the skills and calibre required for
selection,” Malik said.
Back
I-T
raids on cricketers, Rs 3.84 crore seized in cash
New
Delhi: In its ongoing probe into
the alleged evasion of money and tax laws by cricketers and other
“associates,” the Income-Tax department has searched 90 premises and
29 lockers, seizing Rs.3.84 crore in cash, jewellery and other assets, the
Rajya Sabha was informed by the government.
Finance minister
Yashwant Sinha, and his deputy, minister of state for revenue, Dhananjay
Kumar, said the searches were incomplete and the documents seized were
being examined. If these had any bearing on the Central Bureau of
Investigation's match-fixing probe, they'd share the data with the latter.
Those whose
premises, residential and otherwise, have been searched are - Mohammed
Azharuddin, Kapil Dev, Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar, Navjot Sidhu, Ajay
Sharma and Nikhil Chopra - and two administrators of the game, former
International Cricket Council president Jagmohan Dalmiya and board
treasurer Kishore Rungta. Similar searches were conducted on the premises
of 16 other “associates,” all of whom were named, as well as seven
relatives of those searched.
Taken away by
the raiding teams, till now, from the searched premises and lockers, are
Rs 32 lakh in cash, Rs 1.29 crore worth jewellery and "other
assets" worth Rs 2.24 crore, with a total approximate value of Rs
3.85 crore.
Some members
wanted to know if the players under a cloud would be stopped from
representing the country till their guilt or innocence were established.
The finance minister said the issue was for the sports minister (Sukhdev
Singh Dhindsa) to speak on; they were only concerned with unpaid tax.
Back
7th August
CBI
to speed up investigation
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to
speed up its investigation into the match fixing and betting case after
the completion of the examination of documents seized during countrywide
Income Tax raids against top players and cricketing officials last month.
CBI sources say
that once the documents in all the 17 lockers of cricketers, officials and
their associates sealed during the July 20-21 raids were examined, the CBI
which is also involved in the Income Tax post-raids operations, will
decide on questioning of these people.
So
far, the Income Tax has opened 12 lockers and is slated to open the
remaining five by Monday. CBI is going through the seized documents in an
effort to find out whether any of the papers has any connection with the
match-fixing allegations.
Back
6th
August
Cricketers
knew well in advance about the IT raids
Mumbai, Aug. 5: It is learnt that the Indian cricketers
knew about last month’s Income Tax raids before hand, though the
“Operation Gentlemen” was a top secret.
Indian cricket coach Kapil Dev asked his ‘liaison
officer’ Hiren Hathi on July 17 whether anyone had come to his house to
which Hiren replied, “Kya baat karte ho paaji, pahale to aapke ghar
aayege, phir mere ghar…” (What’re you saying Paaji ? They will
come to your house first and then my house) was the prompt reply from
Hathi, who had visited Kapil three days before the CBI and IT sleuths made
a country-wide raid.
”Hiren Hathi, a very ‘close’ of Kapil Dev is a
regular flier to Delhi. Whenever Kapil Dev is in India, he flies from
Ahmedabad to Delhi every Monday and returns either the same day or the
next after finishing his ‘work with Kapil Dev’, it is reliably learnt.
“When he lost his father last year on the last day of the Test match
against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Kapil Dev and Ajay Jadeja went to his
house to console him” informs the source.
Hiren Hathi has worked with Kapil Dev’s Musco
company on various projects. The first project of installing flood-lights
was at the Mohali stadium for which the company earned Rs 3 crore. The
company had also made lighting arrangements in Delhi for the US Embassy.
They have also successfully worked at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad and
the golf course in Lonavla. Hathi is believed to have earned a huge money
through such projects. “Kapil Dev had come only to sign the agreement,
the whole project was being looked after by Hiren” sources close to the
Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) said.
Back
5th August
Muthiah,
Lele, Rungta deposed before CBI
New
Delhi: Indian Cricket Board president A C Muthiah, its secretary
Jaywant Lele and treasurer Kishore Rungta on Friday deposed before the CBI
in connection with the match-fixing scandal. Although CBI maintained
silence over what transpired during the three-hour-long meeting, Muthiah
told reporters outside the agency headquarters “we discussed general
things and exchanged information.”
However, the
deposition of the three comes close on heels of nation-wide raids
conducted by Income Tax on the premises of cricket players, BCCI officials
and bookies. During the raids, CBI officials had surveyed the premises of
Rungta in Jaipur from whose house some fixed deposits receipts were
reportedly recovered. According to the sources, the CBI officials asked
the BCCI representatives about the constitution of the Board and various
sub-committees formed to look into issues including allotment of telecast
rights.
Muthiah said he
had asked the CBI to expedite the entire case so that the hype created
against the game could ease and doubts over the performance of the players
could stop. This is for the first time, ever since the agency registered a
preliminary inquiry on May 2, that three cricket administrators have
deposed before the CBI and recorded their statements on a single day. He
also said, the agency also asked them about the functioning of the BCCI
and how the elections were held. He, however, denied that any of the
players, whose names had figured in the recent match-fixing controversy,
would be dropped from the team.
“Let them prove that they are guilty. The question of
taking an action could come only at a later stage,” he said. The BCCI
president denied that the CBI had asked them any questions about
interviews by some Board officials on a portal.
Back
4th August
IT
people questioned Jadeja on assets
New
Delhi: The Income Tax (IT) sleuths on Thursday questioned
cricketer Ajay Jadeja for hours on certain documents relating to property
seized from his official, residential premises and bank lockers.
The questioning
of Jadeja, who was accompanied by his brother Ajit Jadeja, began at 11.15
am and continued till late in the evening. Jadeja is the first cricketer
to be summoned by the IT after the authorities conducted nation-wide raids
on cricketers, Board officials and bookies on July 20.
The IT
department opened his bank lockers on Wednesday and found some jewellery
in a State Bank of India locker belonging to his mother. The locker was
part of the 17 lockers sealed during a nation-wide swoop.
Jadeja, who was
present during the search, told reporters at his two-bedroom flat in
Greater Kailash, that IT personnel had searched him at the airport and
even taken his laptop computer when he returned from London on Monday
night.
As
per law, the person, against whom an Income Tax raid has been conducted,
has to be confronted with every document seized before fixing any penalty
for evasion of tax. Meanwhile, IT department had written to Sharma, who
left the country immediately after the scandal, surfaced to play for a
minor county in London, the sources said, adding indications were that he
would be coming in the second week of September. Also Nikhil Chopra has
called the Income Tax authorities from London and informed them that he
would be returning and filing a statement.
Back
3rd
August
IT
waiting for Ajay Sharma
New
Delhi: Income Tax authorities have written to Delhi batsman Ajay
Sharma, currently in London, to intimate about his arrival for assessment
of his assets found during the recent country-wide raids on cricketers and
others in the wake of match-fixing scandal.
IT sources said
the department had written to Sharma, who left the country immediately
after the scandal surfaced to play for minor county in London. The
department is awaiting his reply after which further action would be
initiated, the sources said.
The residential
and office premises of Sharma, who is alleged to have some links with
bookies, were raided and sealed on July 20 during the nation-wide swoop. A
CBI team comprising Joint Director R N Sawani and Deputy Inspector General
Y K Singh, who left for London soon after the country-wide Income Tax
raids, has already questioned Sharma in London on his alleged links with
some bookies.
Meanwhile,
cricketer Nikhil Chopra has called the Income Tax (IT) authorities from
London and informed them that he would be returning and filing a
statement. “He (Chopra) has expressed desire to come and make all things
clear and we are waiting for him”, the Income Tax sources said.
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No
demand to drop Kapil Dev, Azharuddin
New
Delhi: The central government has not demanded the dropping of
coach Kapil Dev and seasoned batsman Mohammad Azharuddin, “tainted” in
the ongoing match-fixing probe, from the Indian team for the Sahara Cup in
Toronto next month.
Reacting to
reports that the demand was made on Tuesday at his meeting with senior
Cricket Board officials as a condition for clearing the team for the
series against Pakistan, Sports Minister Dhindsa told here “this topic
did not come up at all during our discussions”.
Dhindsa
expressed his satisfaction with the meeting on Tuesday and said the Board
officials had promised to send him a copy of the code of conduct after it
is ratified at the BCCI working committee meeting in Bangalore on August
19.
Back
2nd
August
I-T
people knocks on Jadeja's doors
New Delhi:
Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt Ajay Jadeja walks out of house, as I-T
officials have just left his home after a raid, an angry man. Jadeja said,
“As long as you ask questions about me, it's fine. But, remember, you
cannot talk about my relationships with XYZ. Ask me about my financial
transactions and I will give you the details. But nothing more.''
Curious
onlookers gather outside his house. Men, women and children peep out of
their homes to catch a glimpse of the unfolding drama. And, Jadeja
continues his tirade. He adds, “You think I own this big building? How
can you say that?'' he asks. ``Come in. And, you will know there are 14
flats in this building. Different people live in these houses. So, this is
my posh house!”
Pointing
to the cars parked outside the building, he argues, “When the income-tax
officials came in, they assumed all these are my cars. Ha. The truth is
the cars belong to all the families staying in these building.”
The crowd inches
closer to Jadeja as he plays the role of an angry young man to perfection
“No, I am not angry,” he says. Almost reading the mind of his
listeners. “I am just concerned.”
On being asked
about the past 24 hours, he replies: “I landed at the airport around
1.30 am on Monday. There were certain gentlemen waiting for me. I had a
laptop. They took it from me. I had nothing to hide about the laptop. If I
had, I would have thrown into the sea.”
“Then, the I-T
officials came this morning,” he adds. “I have cooperated with them.
They will open my mother's and my joint locker in Parliament Street soon.
I am not running away. I will answer all their questions.''
Reacting to the
CBI investigations, Jadeja said: “I have been to the CBI earlier. If I
am called now, I will again go there. But don't ask me what they are
investigating. It's not right on my part to disclose anything. Let the
gentlemen do their job.''
Just
before going back to his house, he says, “Please know that I am not
going abroad in the near future. I am here. And, finally, I don't blame
anybody for anything.”
Back
BCCI
submitted “Vision 2000 Report” to Dhindsa
New
Delhi: The Cricket
Board and the Sports Ministry on Tuesday agreed to work together for the
betterment of the game, after weeks of feuding over the running of cricket
in the country, with the Board telling the Government it would be
submitting the code of conduct after August 19.
The Board also
asked the Government to take steps for an early conclusion to the
match-fixing inquiry. At the much-publicised meeting, the BCCI submitted a
“Vision 2000 Report” to Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa outline
its programme for the next five years. “We have decided to work together
for the promotion of cricket. We’ll leave no stone unturned to take the
game to the grassroot level and redeem its prestige,” bcci President a c
Muthiah said, soon after the meeting.
To have the
future plan put in place, Muthiah said, “We’ve requested that there
should be a quick conclusion to the inquiry into the match-fixing scandal.
“It is very demoralising for the team (when it goes out on official
tours) to play when you have a sword (of the probe) hanging over your
head,” Muthiah said.
The Board
president said he told the minister that BCCI’s new code would be based
on the International Ccouncil’s Code with few additions considering
Indian conditions that have come in the wake of the match-fixing scandal.
The BCCI’s committee is drafting a new code, which will be placed before
its working committee in Bangalore on August 19, and after ratification
there, it will be submitted to the Government.
Muthiah
said there was no discussion on the issue of dropping from the national
team players against whom allegations of match-fixing are being probed.
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Ali
Bacher to step down soon
Durban:
South African cricket chief Ali Bacher, currently in the thick of a storm
over match-fixing, intends to step down from the post of managing director
of the United Cricket Board soon. Bacher, once contender for the position
of sports minister and one of the strongest sports officials in the
country, said he wanted to concentrate all his efforts on ensuring the
success of the 2002 World Cup which is to be held in South Africa.
Bacher said he
would leave his office "preferably on October 1", six months
ahead of his retirement. "That would give me about six months in
which to help ease my successor into office," he said.
Meanwhile the
UCB has been entrusted with the job of reviewing the recommendations of
the King commission of inquiry into match-fixing allegations.
The
commission, which witnessed the sensational admissions of the disgraced
cricketer Hansie Cronje, will decide the fate of three other players -
Pieter Strydom, Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams - under suspicion.
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Legal
panel to decide future of players
Johannesburg: A panel of legal experts will decide the future of
South African cricketers Herschelle Gibbs, Henry Williams and Pieter
Strydom after publication of an interim report on match-fixing next week,
United Cricket Board (UCB) managing director Ali Bacher said on Monday.
Judge Edwin King
is due to submit an interim report on his commission of inquiry into
match-fixing to South African President Thabo Mbeki on August 11.
Bacher said
cricket’s controlling body had been told the report would make reference
to Gibbs, Williams and Strydom, who told the commission that they were
approached by former captain Hansie Cronje and asked to help influence the
outcome of matches.
Gibbs
and Williams both admitted in June that they had accepted offers to
under-perform in a one-day international in March.
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Ist
August
CBI
questions Ajay Sharma in London
New Delhi: A CBI team has
questioned Ajay Sharma in London on his alleged links with some bookies.
The team comprising Joint Director R N Sawani and Deputy Inspector General
Y K Singh, who left for London soon after the countrywide Income Tax raids
on the premises of cricketers and others.
When contacted,
Sharma told from London that the team had met him on Friday and asked
several questions about the controversy. “I have made my stand clear and
answered every single query of the CBI officials,” Sharma said.
Sharma, who is
playing for a minor-county in London, had left the country immediately
after the scandal came into light. He is the seventh cricketer to be
questioned by the agency. The team has also met Scotland Yard Police and
sought its co-operation in the case.
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Salim
Malik may be charged with contempt of court
ISLAMABAD: Salim Malik, Pakistan's former
cricket captain who has been banned for life from the game for his alleged
role in match-fixing, may be charged with contempt of court.
Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who is
probing charges of match-fixing and corruption by Pakistani cricketers,
indicated as much during a court hearing in Lahore on Sunday.
At issue is Malik's interview to the
British tabloid, News of the World, in which he is alleged to have made
derogatory remarks against Justice Qayyum.
"Salim Malik will be charged with the
contempt of court," the judge said. "It will not be delayed. As
soon as I get the transcripts and have read them, charges will be
framed," the Dawn newspaper reported.
"I have heard about (Salim Malik's
remarks). Naveed Rasool will be summoned and will be told to make the
transcripts of that interview available," Justice Qayyum said.
Naveed Rasool, a former legal advisor of
the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has been asked to evaluate the assets of
the Pakistani players. He has also been handed over the transcripts of
Malik's interview.
Salim Malik was banned from playing cricket
in May this year after Justice Qayyum inquiry was made public. He has also
been fined Rs. 1 million.
"I will appeal to (Chief Executive)
Gen. Pervez Musharraf and President Mohammad Rafiq Taraar against the
ban," Malik had said after the ban was imposed on him and teammate
Ata-ur-Rehman.
Malik, a veteran of 103 Tests and 283
one-day internationals, has led Pakistan to a home series victory over
Australia, as well as away series wins over New Zealand, Sri Lanka and
Zimbabwe.
He claimed that his record as a player and
as captain "shows that I am the second best run-getter for Pakistan
after Javed Miandad," another successful Pakistani batsman.
He claimed that the life ban had been
imposed "due to baseless allegations" by Australian players
Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Tim May, who had alleged that Malik had
offered them bribes to under-perform during Australia's tour of Pakistan
in 1994.
The Qayyum inquiry, meanwhile, officially
concluded on Sunday with the judge giving the benefit of doubt to former
spinner Mushtaq Ahmad. The inquiry lasted almost two years. Justice Qayyum
has also handed over his report to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Ahmad was among the six players whose
conduct had been found "unbecoming" by Justice Qayyum. The other
five are Wasim Akram, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Akram
Raza. All six had also been fined Rs. 300,000 each.
Justice Qayyum, however, said that the fine
imposed on Mushtaq Ahmad would stay.
"We searched for one Afzal Butt, as,
during the inquiry, it was alleged that he was the person who bribed the
spinner $100,000. But our hunt went in vain as Butt remains
untraceable," the judge said. "Mushtaq Ahmad has been given the
benefit of doubt because in the alleged match, his performance was
outstanding. He can't be given a severe punishment unless there is
concrete evidence," the judge said."
Justice Qayyum also welcomed the PCB's
decision to secretly monitor Pakistani cricketers. "Until confidence
(in them) is restored, this is a good exercise," he said.
"Unfortunately in our society,
confidence will only be restored once the team starts winning. I don't
think the players will be monitored by an invisible agent for an
indefinite period," he said.
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