Three-member ICC team to discuss CBI report in India: The
International Cricket Council's (ICC) three-member team is in India to
hold talks with officials of the CBI to discuss the match-fixing and
betting report made public last month. The report, apart from naming
five Indians has named for ten foreign players.
At the end of the meeting with the three-member ICC team, comprising
Martin Hawkins, Alan Peacock and Robert Smanney, a CBI official said
"It was a routine meeting about the investigations into the case."
Hawkins said that they were here in connection with the match-fixing
case but refused to give more details. He said "We are here to meet
the investigators and people who could throw more light on the entire
gamut of match-fixing in the game."
The team, which also wanted to meet former Indian allrounder Manoj
Prabhakar, was in for a disappointment for Prabhakar refused to meet
them. The members wanted to question the Delhi player for the CBI
report has it that he is the player who introduced some foreign
players to the bookie Mukesh Gupta. When contacted by PTI, Prabhakar
said "they (ICC team) telephoned me but I have turned down their
request and told them to meet me along with Indian Cricket Board
officials," adding "I am first answerable to BCCI and not ICC."
Morarka opposed to penalty for players
BCCI vice-president Kamal Morarka who is one of the disciplinary
committee members has opined that he was against any penalty being
imposed on the players for their alleged role in match-fixing and
nexus with the bookies. Talking to PTI from Mumbai a day before the
crucial meeting in Chennai to decide the punishment on players,
Morarka said that before deciding the penalty for any erring player,
the committee must weigh the fact that the those punished would have
recourse to legal remedy if it was disproportionate. He added "The
board owes it to itself to see that there is fairness in its actions."
Morarka, one of the board members advocating leniency towards the
players said "Where is the need for us to give severe punishment based
only on suspicion while the other boards have let off their players
with milder sentences." He also clarified that he was not defending
former Indian captain Ajay Jadeja, contrary to the reports in the
media.
Dinesh Baruah Memorial Tournament starts today
The 9th Dinesh Baruah Memorial cricket tournament started on Tuesday
at the Latasil field in Guwahati with the Guwahati Cricket Coaching
Centre taking on Latasil Cricket Coaching Centre. The top ten local
teams are participating in the competition. The preliminary rounds of
the tournament will be played on knock-out basis while the semi-finals
will be on league basis. The top two teams in the league will contest
the final.
The other teams participating in the tournament are Riverrine Club, NF
Railway Coaching Centre, Ankurjyoti club, New Star Club, Ex Ankur,
Guwahati Town Club, Santipur AC and City Cricket Coaching Centre.
Goa under-16 team announced
The Goa under-16 team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy South Zone league
match against Karnataka will be led by Sachin Shetty. The match will
be played in Bangalore from Dec 7-9.
The team: Sachin Shetty (capt), Sher Bahudur Yadav (v.capt), Varun
Kolambkar, Altaf Zamadhar, Sandeep Sharma, Anup Kolambkar, Sumit Naik,
Shishir Divakar, Timraj M, Kiran Naik, Abilash Mudekar, Sandeep D
Mello, Deepak Naik (WK), Sachin Sardesai, Santhosh Yadav and Alywn
Fernandes. The team manager and coach are Sujay Netravadkar and Hazim
Sayeed respectively.