Azhar speaks at last, says he is clean

For the first time since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report was made public, one of the five players named in the report, former Indian captain Mohd. Azharuddin denied neither having fixed matches nor having links with the underworld as reported.

In an interview to a website from Hyderabad, Azhar replying to a question as to why he did not issue a statement earlier, said "I have said I will talk at an appropriate time. Not right now. I have nothing to say." Coming out of exile, the 37-year-old stylist from Hyderabad on his alleged role in the Hansiegate scandal was quoted as saying "Sab Galat Baten hai yeh. Aisa kuch nahin kiya maine" (This is all wrong. I have done nothing of this kind). I do not have any links with the underworld." On his admission before the the CBI that he had fixed matches, Azhar said "they asked and they answered."

In his trademark style where he leaves it to destiny, Azhar said "Allah badnami deta hai aur woh hi bachata hai. Tum Dekhna'' (God wills that you are defamed and then he alone saves your reputation. You wait and see). ``How do I know who I click a picture with every time," he retorted in reference to some photographs of him with members of the underworld.

Azhar however skipped the question on his links with alleged bookie Mukesh Gupta. He replied "you have answered the question yourself," to a question on whether the CBI found the lockers empty. "The income tax people were inquiring about some farm house on the outskirts of the city. I want to know too where I have a farm house. "Jo dil me aa raha hain bol rahe hain (they say whatever they want to)," he added.

On what he is doing these days, Azhar said "Kya bhi likhte bhaita hun. Jo dil mein aata hain, likhta hun. (I keep on writing, something or the other, whatever comes to my mind).

Meanwhile, the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has come strongly against the players who have been named in the CBI report. Reacting to the raging controversy for the first time, he said "a life ban should be imposed on the guilty players. The southpaw added "the players should not be spared. They should be banned for life for bringing shame to the game."

Ganguly also expressed shock over the alleged involvement of some players in the scandal with whom he played for long. Ganguly said despite the fact that no bookie ever approached him, nor did he find anything fishy going on during any of his matches, he saw reason to believe that matches could be fixed.