Azhar to challenge life ban in Andhra HC soon

Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin will soon challenge in the Andhra Pradesh High Court the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal.

"The writ petition in this regard seeking quashing of the life ban imposed on Azharuddin has been finalised and would soon be filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court," senior advocate HR Bharadwaj told PTI in New Delhi on Thursday.

The main ground to be taken before the High Court in the petition would be questioning the legal value of the CBI report, he said.

"The CBI followed no established procedure while conducting the probe," Bharadwaj said adding "The CBI report on betting and match-fixing was neither an investigation nor a proper inquiry."

When told that the BCCI decision was handed down after the Madhavan committee endorsed the findings of the CBI report, the advocate said "Madhavan was nobody to conduct the inquiry. He had no jurisdiction to take up such a probe. It is only the Indian Cricket Board which is authorised to conduct the probe," and added "hence the punishment given to Azharuddin is illegal."

The former skipper was banned for life by the BCCI after Madhavan, who heard him after CBI submitted its report indicting him, agreed with the allegations levelled against the player by the investigating agency.