Indian news round-up

The author of the Chandrachud commission and former retired Chief Justice of India, Justice Chandrachud is surprised at Union Home Minister LK Advani's statement earlier this week that the match fixing report which he had submitted to the BCCI would not be made public.

Talking to an Indian newspaper, Justice Chandrachud said, "I am surprised the Government should make this statement, as it has nothing to do with it. Why has the BCCI submitted the report to the Government? It is anybody's guess...I simply cannot fathom the reason.''

On BCCI's plan to bring the police and CBI to look into match-fixing, Chandrachud said he was not in favour of it. He said ``There is so much money in betting. The biggest menaces are the bookies and betting but it is ill-advised to bring the police in. While they may know the ins and outs of the betting syndicate, their interests and procedures are different...they have several constraints.''

Former Indian captains Mohd. Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar lashed out at a report in a South African newspaper 'The Star' that they had 'links' with South African businessman Hameed Cassim.

An annoyed Azharuddin said "this is going too far. People are taking me for granted". He said this while talking to an Indian newspaper in Bangalore on Thursday. He added ''everybody in the Indian team knows him. He has often been with the team members. I have met him only when he used to bring food for the team. I don`t know why for everything, only my name keeps cropping up". The Hyderabad captain further demanded "Every time something happens, I am hounded by the media. How many times do I have to make a statement that I am not involved in all these activities?''

Tendulkar, speaking to reporters in Mumbai, said ``I would prefer to be away from all this. If someone says he has met me and photographed himself with me it does not mean he is a great pal of mine. He has organised Indian food for the team, specially vegetarians. That is all the relationship with me.''

Former Indian captain, Mohd Azharuddin, in an interview with an Indian newspaper, whether he disclosed Rs 16 crores in the VDIS scheme, said that he was not the former captain who disclosed the amount. ''I don`t have that kind of money and I don`t earn that kind of money,`` Azhar said. He further added ''I know that under the scheme they cannot reveal the name of the party, but at least, they could have said that it was not Azharuddin, and thus cleared my name.``

Azharuddin, who recently made his comeback into the Indian team, said "I have just made a comeback into international cricket. I want to play and enjoy my game. Why don't people allow me to do that?". He also threatened to sue those who dragged his name in controversies such as these.

A call for an immediate meeting of the ICC commission following the involvement of Hansie Cronje in a betting scandal was made by Justice Nasim Hasan Shah. Justice Shah is a former Pakistan Supreme Court Justice and Pakistan's representative in the International Cricket Council commission.

A former president of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Justice Shah said that with so much money involved these days match fixing has become a widespread disease in international cricket across countries. He questioned the very existence of the commission which was set up last year to look into misconduct and irregularities by member countries as they have not met even once so far.