BCCI appeal to co-operate with CBI

BCCI appeal to co-operate with CBI
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

MUMBAI, APRIL 30: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appealed to all persons concerned with the game, including its own personnel, to actively co-operate with the CBI in the latter's investigation into allegations of betting and match-fixing of cricket matches.

In an advertisement placed in newspapers on Sunday, Board Secretary Jaywant Lele has also implored all persons to desist from spreading rumours and going to the media with unfounded allegations.

``The BCCI appeals to all persons concerned with cricket including office-bearers, players, officials, coaches and managers of cricketing bodies and organisations including all personnel of the BCCI to actively co-operate with CBI in their investigation into the allegations of betting and match-fixing of cricket matches,'' the text of the ad reads.

Lele has also appealed to people to actively co-operate with the CBI so as to ``help in ultimately arriving at some firm conclusions in the matters now under investigation which have justifiably aroused concern of lovers of the game of cricket in India and around the world.''

He appealed to journalists and mediapersons having knowledge of the matter or connected with the investigations now being conducted by CBI to ``pass on all relevant and material information to the investigating authorities.''

The Government had ordered CBI inquiry into the raging controversy on Friday. Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had, a day earlier, held discussions with past and present cricketers, game administrators at New Delhi. All Board bigwigs had welcomed Government's decision to involve CBI in the investigations.

There's no concrete evidence against me: Sharma

LONDON: Former Indian cricketer Ajay Sharma has dismissed match-fixing allegations against him as ``baseless'' and denied reports that he fled India after sacked South African skipper Hansie Cronje recently admitted to receiving money from an Indian bookie.

Sharma said his name was being ``unfairly'' dragged in because of his friendship with former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin.

``I have been unfaily drawn into the tangled web of match-fixing because of my friendship with Mohammad Azharuddin, former India captain,'' Sharma has been quoted by The Observer daily here as saying.

The Delhi-based cricketer said, ``there is no concrete evidence against me. I have done nothing wrong.'' He said he was in London on a contract with Padiham club in the minor counties.

``I signed my contract with Padiham in February. I will go back to India to speak to the police if they want me to, but that may be difficult before our season ends in September,'' Sharma, who took six wickets for 46 runs and scored 86 not out as Padiham beat bitter local rivals Ribblesdale Wanderers by six wickets at Burnley, said.

Asked to comment on media reports that he rang up Azhar before every game, he said, ``in 1993, Azhar was going through a bad spell, borrowed a bat from me, scored 186 against England in Calcutta and saw that as a lucky omen. We've kept in touch and always speak before a game, again a lucky omen. Azhar is very superstitious.''