Bindra, Chopra to appear before BCCI Disciplinary Committee

Former BCCI President IS Bindra and off-spinner Nikhil Chopra have been asked to appear before the Disciplinary Committee in Chennai on Thursday to clear themselves of different charges against them.

The BCCI had last August issued a show cause notice to Bindra following his 'outbursts' against the working of the Board, seeking to take action against him for having brought disrepute to the BCCI and the game of cricket, while Chopra has been called by the Committee in connection with the CBI report and an internal inquiry in the match-fixing scandal.

BCCI President AC Muthiah told PTI in Chennai on Thursday that the Committee's findings would be placed before a general body meeting of the Board for a decision.

Muthiah said Kamal Morarka will be replaced by N Amin of Baroda, a vice-president of the Board, in the Committee when Bindra is interrogated. The other two members of the Committee are Muthiah (Chairman) and KN Ramprasad of Karnataka.

On the action against Chopra, Muthiah said "the Committee will go into the merit of the case and take into consideration the report submitted by K Madhavan, BCCI's Investigating Officer, before deciding on the punishment to the player."

Asked whether the fresh findings of the Income Tax Authorities (Investigative Wing) would be dealt with during Chopra's inquiry, Muthiah said "it has to be discussed with the player. Obviously, Madhavan could not have questioned him on this, as the inquiry was held well before the IT report".

Asked whether the decision on Chopra's case would be announced on Thursday itself, Muthiah said "it is premature to say anything. It all depends on the Committee's findings".

Chopra was initially a member of the Indian team for the five-match one-day series against Zimbabwe, but was not taken in the playing eleven in the opening match at Cuttack. He was subsequently excluded from the team on Muthiah's directions as he had not been queried then by Madhavan.

Chopra finding a berth in the Indian team to play the Australian side in the coming series would depend on the Disciplinary Committee exonerating the player before February 5, the first day of the six-day camp called for by the Board before finalising the team.

The team to play the visiting Australians would be picked on February 15, the last day of the three-day Challengers Series slated to be played in Chennai from February 12 to 15.