Jadeja, Mongia's involvement cannot be ruled out -- Solkar

Jadeja, Mongia's involvement cannot be ruled out -- Solkar
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Nagpur, May 1: Former India Test cricketer, Eknath Solkar said that Ajay Jadeja and Nayan Mongia's involvement in the match-fixing could not be ruled out. "They are hyper-active on and off-the-field. That might have prompted a larger section of media and people to point a finger of suspicion at them".

Solkar was all praise for former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin. ``He was a successful skipper and I see no reason for his involvement in the match-fixing row.'' When pointed out that Hansie Cronje too was a good skipper, Solkar, now a more puzzled man, said he was optimistic that there would be no Indian involved in the match-fixing. ``Just look at the appearance money they get to play. Why should they want to earn more money.''

But he soon contradicted himself saying, ``the Indian players are after money. They earn more money through endorsements than playing for the country.''

Earlier, Solkar said he did not know what the `fixing' was all about, but added that a captain, with the help of his top players, can mastermind the criminal act.

Thanks to the overdose of contradictions, scribes had to draw Solkar's attention to his old passion: close-in fielding.

Talking on the subject, he said, ``looking at the risk factor, now nobody wants to field at forward short-leg. It's a place created for a specialist. We need to create that kind of fielders.''

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Solkar to teach the art of close-in fielding to the trainees at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

Solkar also blamed the International Cricket Council (ICC) President, Jagmohan Dalmiya, for excessive cricket and increasing injuries of players. ``After Dalmiya came to the power, he caught hold of big sponsors and took cricket to everywhere. But he is equally responsible for excessive cricket.''

He had a word of caution for Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble. ``It's okay if a batsman plays English county, but a bowler like Kumble should resist from playing there as it reveals his art of bowling."

PCB to make report public

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman General Tauqir Zia said the findings of a judicial commission on match fixing would be made public soon and guilty players punished. ``I have promised the International Cricket Council (ICC) to submit the report of the inquiry in June and I will live up to my words,'' Zia said on Sunday. Any player found guilty of match-fixing would bepunished, he said.

The report of the commission headed by the Lahore High Court judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum has been awaiting action since November.