ICC premises in London, Monaco searched

The International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption unit (ACU) team led by Sir Paul Condon searched the premises of ICC in London and Monaco on Monday in connection with the alleged malpractice in awarding of television rights. This search was to help the Indian investigation agency, CBI, with whom the ACU had held discussions last week in Delhi.

Sir Malcolm Gray, President of the ICC, and Lord Griffiths, Chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, were both aware of the situation, and Gray had personally authorised the search. The ACU was acting in advance of a request from the CBI in India, which is compiling a report into allegations of malpractice in the awarding of TV rights in relation to the 1998 ICC Knockout Tournament.

An ICC media release confirmed that the ACU obtained some documents from the ICC offices. Malcolm Gray said "The ICC is on record as offering the ACU free access to any of its records or documentation. In the spirit of that offer, we wanted to act responsibly and promptly to the ACUs request." Lord Griffiths, Chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, was also aware of this action and is being kept abreast of developments. Talking to the media earlier on Dec 15, Paul Condon had admitted to a link between the world of organised crime and disclosures of malpractice in the game.

Meanwhile, in India the focus will be on the income-tax appraisal report and later in the weekend on the BCCI's core committee meeting in Mumbai on December 23. One can expect fireworks for the board is expected to take up the exchange of letters between BCCI chief AC Muthiah and vice-president Kamal Morarka on the issue of the disciplinary committee meeting in Chennai on Dec 5, the day when the punishments on the players were announced. Morarka has gone on record criticising the bans on players meted out by Muthiah and the other disciplinary committee member, KM Ram Prasad.

Former Indian captain Mohd. Azharuddin, who has been banned for life from playing by the BCCI, will decide the future course of action after Ramzan. Former Union Law Minister and his lawyer HR Bharadwaj said this in New Delhi on Sunday. Bharadwaj said "I have been counseling Azharuddin from the time he was named as one of the main players involved in fixing matches." He also claimed that Azhar was initially reluctant to appear before BCCI's anti-corruption commissioner K Madhavan and relented only after he had advised him to do so. Bharadwaj said he was unaware if the BCCI had served a notice to the Hyderabadi player saying "At this point, I have not got any feedback from Azharuddin."

According to PTI, board secretary JY Lele while talking over the phone confirmed from Baroda that notices had been couriered last week to all the tainted cricketers - Azharuddin, Ajay Sharma, Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar. However, he said he did not know if they had received the notices. Replying to a question on the plans of some of the accused cricketers to move court challenging the board's decision, Lele said, "It is up to them to do what they want." Recently, Jadeja told the media in New Delhi that he would go to court challenging the BCCI decision.

Meanwhile, the public response to the King Commission recommendation on tapping phones and checking e-mails of cricketers has been that of shock and disappointment. Most of the South African commentators and public have condemned it.

The ECB chairman Lord Maclaurin, reacting to the proposal, said that the recommendation was a Draconian measure to try and weed out the remaining offenders in the long-running corruption inquiry. Criticising the report, MacLaurin said "My first reaction is one of great sadness. I'm appalled really that we're descending into something like that." He added "I would be very, very loath to enter into anything like that at all. We do have a problem in the game - I think people are working very hard to eradicate it - but I would like to think there was a certain trust between the administrators and the players."

Lord Maclaurin said "cricket for me is not like that. It is a game that you trust people implicitly; it's a great game of great honour and great integrity - and I think that there are a few people who have transgressed." He added "But in the whole scheme of things I do think there is trust and honour in the game of cricket and I would not go for lie detectors and anything like that; that would be very sad."