'Board pledges its total support to all players': Muthiah

The president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) AC Muthiah at a press conference in Chennai on Wednesday appealed to all officials both former and present including players to stop trading charges and indulge in mudslinging in the open. This comes in the wake of charges and counter allegations by members to settle their personal scores.

Muthiah has issued a stern warning to all the members saying they will be expelled if they carried on with "baseless allegations". Muthiah said members instead of going to the media, should approach the CBI if they had any complaints. "As President of the board, let it be known that I will not be taking any sides and I will maintain a neutral stand. I would like to caution all the board members that any one making rash and baseless allegations would not be spared by the board. I would like to remind them that if members are found guilty of endangering the harmony or affecting the reputation, stability or interest of the board, they shall be liable for expulsion".

On former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra's allegations, the industrial baron said "I am taken aback by the baseless allegations and denials which a person of the stature of Bindra has been freely trading. Similarly, whatever statements have been made by P M Rungta, Kamal Morarka and others are a matter of record and there is nothing new. All these claims and counter-claims have gone through the regular procedure of passing in the working committee and later at the AGM wherein all these persons have participated and acquiesced in arriving at a decision."

Muthiah added "These honourable members without realising how it hurts the board's image have been continuing to go to the media to settle their personal scores. This sort of slander is highly reprehensible and has to be put an end to".

He said the matter will be taken up in the board meeting to be held on May 19 in New Delhi. Muthiah also added that the working committee would decide on expulsion which would be in accordance with the constitution of the board. The meeting would also consider issuing showcause notice to all those resorting to a slander campaign.

Muthiah said with the CBI handling the case of betting and match fixing, members should refrain from settling their scores, observing that the main issue of match fixing was "getting digressed" as the past and the present members of the board indulged in mudslinging. On expanding the scope of the CBI inquiry, he said it was up to the investigating agency to decide whether to include the board's financial dealings besides going into the charges of match-fixing and betting.

Muthiah said "We are willing to face any inquiry into the board's functioning in its entirety. Even the comptroller and auditor general can look into the board accounts". He said some opinions that the board does not spend enough on coaching was wrong and clarified that the board did spend a major chunk on coaching and training.

Muthiah said if the players are found guilty they would be banned for life and their records erased from the books. But added "I would like to affirm that the board pledges its total support to all past and present players until they are proved guilty of their involvement by the CBI in any aspect of betting or match fixing. "The issue of match fixing is of public concern as it hits at the very fabric of the game", he said. Instead he suggested "let us concentrate on the growth of the game".