CBI team questions Ajay Sharma in London

The stage was set for a confrontation between the Government and the officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) just before the crucial meeting in New Delhi on August 1. The code of conduct issue almost came to a boiling point between the two sides but things subsequently softened with both the parties calling truce. The board officials are to meet the Union Sports Minister SS Dhindsa today to hand over a 'Vision 2005 Report'.

The healing touch was provided by the Minister of State for Sports Shahnawaz Hussain in New Delhi on Monday. Talking to the media, he said "We don't want any confrontation with BCCI. We want the board to co-operate with the Government in rooting out corruption from the game," and added "We are hopeful that a very positive outcome will be there from tomorrow's meeting."

Meanwhile, a two member Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team of joint director RN Sawani and DIG YK Singh, who are at present in London, questioned former Indian player Ajay Sharma. When contacted by a news agency, Sharma said the team had met him on Friday and asked several questions about the match-fixing controversy. He added "I have made my stand clear and answered every single query of the CBI officials." Sharma left the country shortly after the scandal broke. He is in England playing league cricket and is expected to return in September after his contract ends.

The investigation team also met officials of Scotland Yard and sought their co-operation in the scandal as the case had international ramifications and needed a thorough inquiry into almost every cricketplaying nation, according to highly placed agency sources. The sources said the team would request Scotland Yard police to trace whether any of the Indian players had bank accounts in the country and if so the transactions made therein. The high level two-member team will spend a week in London meeting various agencies including Interpol before returning home.