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Invitees happy with outcome of meeting

Onkar Singh, in Delhi

Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's specially-convened meeting of officials of the Board of Control of Cricket in India and past and present cricketers, in Delhi on Thursday, ended on the happy note, with all present agreeing to abide by whatever decision the government takes vis-a-vis match-fixing.

The ministry of sports had extended 58 invitations to cricketers and officials of the BCCI, both past and present. With the exception of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley, who is in Bombay, almost everyone attended the meeting.

First to arrive on the scene was former Indian captain Bishen Singh Bedi. Other cricketers who attended the meeting included Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Kirti Azad, Yashpal Sharma, Madan Lal, Kapil Dev, Chetan Chauhan.

On the administrators' side, ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya, former BCCI presidents I S Bindra, Madhavrao Scindia, N K P Salve and Rajsingh Dungarpur; BCCI honorary secretary Jaywant Lele, BCCI president A C Muttiah and human resource development minister Murali Manohar Joshi were present.

Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja, Maninder Singh, Nikhil Chopra and a few others were invited to join the invitees for lunch only.

Meeting over, most left hurriedly, refusing to comment on the deliberations. While batting maestro Gavaskar and Jadeja were given a lift by Maninder Singh, former India captain Azharuddin slipped out from the back door. Sachin Tendulkar was virtually cornered by the media but refused to comment. Same with India coach Kapil Dev. Pataudi too just slipped away.

But there were a few who stayed back to brave the media onslaught. They included Bedi, Salve, Dalmiya, Bindra, Muthiah and Kirit Azad.

Manoj Prabhakar was upset that he was not properly received by the organisers of the meeting and almost left the J N stadium, the venue. However, with the media giving him hot chase, he changed his mind.

When asked if he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, Bedi said: "Both yes and no. Yes, because the government has at least made a beginning. No, because the time devoted to such an important and serious issue was too little and too short.

"As far as I am concerned, I feel that the investigations in this matter should be handed over to an agency which would do an impartial job. If the CBI can do this job, why not? The people are fed up of hearing the allegations of the match-fixing. We have been hearing about it for years now. It is time that the air is cleared and cricket is played in the competitive spirit as it should be."

Kriti Azad called for a CBI probe. "I feel that once the investigations begin, all the agencies including FERA, Income Tax, Revenue, Intelligence etc should also come into the picture. Only then the truth will come out,” said the former Test cricketer turned Member of Parliament.

Salve felt that the initiative taken by the government is a positive development. "At no stage the name any of the Indian player came up during the meeting. But participants were overwhelmingly in favour of a CBI inquiry into the match-fixing scandal. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and there was no acrimony. I am hopeful that something will come out," Salve said.

Pataudi, said he is happy that the government has taken note of the match-fixing issue.

"The government seems serious and the BCCI has also offered to assist. I hope that all those who know something about the match-fixing issue will now come forward and give evidence before whatever mode of inquiry is announced by the government. I am satisfied with the meeting that took place today. Everyone present gave his view point. The entire discussion was tape recorded.

"This match-fixing scandal has been bringing bad name to Indian cricket, cricketers and the Indian public at large. Time has come when the whole thing should be put down with a heavy hand and the guilty should be punished.

"Lot of allegations have been made by those who claim to have known that match-fixing has been going on in Indian cricket. Here is an opportunity for them to come and tell the investigating agencies whatever they know. They should tell the names or shut up," said Pataudi.

Dalmiya made it clear that he attended the meeting in his capacity as a former official of the BCCI and not as ICC president. He refused to answer questions on the ICC.

"We have told the government that the BCCI will cooperate in whatever manner it may so desire. I told the meeting that the government should provide protection to all those who are willing to tell the names to the investigating agencies. And all those who are found guilty should be punished. If the guilty players are punished heavily, the officials and managers should be punished more heavily if they too are found guilty. But those who are found innocent there should be some sort of protection for them as well. Defamation suits take decades to get settled. There should be special courts to hold such trials," he said.

Muttiah, in his capacity as the president of the BCCI, said that the board has offered full assistance to the government and will do whatever it is directed.

"The government has made it clear that it has no intention to run the BCCI. We have to defend ourselves before the Delhi High Court and the matter is coming up on May 15. I do not agree with the suggestion that only cricketers and cricket officials should be asked to disclose their assets. This should be applicable to all sportsmen in the country," he argued.

He however said that all those found guilty of match-fixing should be punished and no mercy be shown to them.

Former BCCI president Bindra said he stood by whatever he said in his press conference few days back, and will disclose the names to the investigating agency.

Madhavrao Scindia complimented the government for taking the initiative.