Indian news round-up

Former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar on Monday denied charges of being contacted by a bookmaker to throw the Titan Cup final against South Africa in 1997.

Tendulkar was refuting a report in a weekly magazine which alleged that when he was the captain, he was approached by a bookie to fix a match. Incidentally India won the final after being outclassed by South Africa in the league matches.

Speaking to a news agency, Tendulkar said ``I have my conscience and my duty and I have always followed it. I have also stayed clear from all these undesirable elements and the public know how I played the game in the last ten years and my commitment towards the game.''

The report said that Tendulkar refused to oblige the bookie and had said that he would play his natural game and would go on to try and win the match.

Former Pakistan skipper and the present co-ordinator of the Cricketers' Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), Asif Iqbal, has asked former BCCI President IS Bindra to 'come up with answers' rather than levelling charges of match-fixing in a Sharjah. Asif was reacting to allegations by Bindra in a television programme that a one day game in Sharjah between India and New Zealand in 1998 was rigged.

Reacting to the allegations, Asif said ``what is the former BCCI president trying to say? He should come out with answers. Who fixed the match - the players or the board? It could have been fixed in India. There is no way the accusation points a finger at the organisers (CBFS).''

Speaking to a Gulf newspaper, Asif said ``Ever since the (Hansie) Cronje issue began, people have been speculating. From all over the world, allegations are being showered on people. We would not like to be a party to it by reacting to such statements.''

Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs SS Dhindsa said in Chandigarh on Monday that the centre might call for an inquiry into the recent match-fixing allegations before April 27 if all the parlimentarians unanimously want it.

Dhindsa said that issue will be up for discussion in the ongoing session of Parliament and if the MPs express their unanimity on an inquiry, then it might be called for before April 27, when he is scheduled to meet former BCCI chiefs, team managers and former captains in New Delhi.

Dhindsa said the government's initial reluctance to interfere in the issue was due to the fact that the BCCI is an autonomous organisation. Moreover a government agency is already investigating the matter. However, following a public outcry, the government had no option but to intervene.