Indian news round up

An ICC media release on Tuesday said that the head of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and the Australian Cricket Board's (ACB) special investigator are flying to India this weekend, to follow up allegations made in the CBI report into cricket malpractice. This was decided after a meeting in London on Tuesday between Sir Paul Condon of the ACU and Greg Melick of the ACB.

Condon said "Today's talks were a private exchange of information and an update of the current status concerning ongoing investigations into the CBI report. As a result of this, both Greg Melick and myself are going to India to seek further information relating to the allegations that have been made against overseas cricketers. The visit is being made with the full knowledge and assistance of the Indian authorities."

The other investigator Greg Melick said "I have reached the stage in my enquiries where it is appropriate and necessary to speak face to face with the organisations directly involved in the compilation of the CBI report. I am working closely and co-operatively with the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit on this matter." The investigators will first fly to Chennai on Saturday to hold talks with the BCCI officials before going to Delhi to meet senior officials of the Indian Government, the head of the CBI and the Delhi Police.

Indian Sports Minister Uma Bharti said that since the issue of corrupt practices in cricket remained unresolved, the Government would soon convene a meeting with the BCCI and other sporting bodies in the country to discuss the matter. She said she would also seek their opinion on bringing transparency and other reforms in their activities.

Talking to the media in New Delhi after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Bharti said "The Government would discuss with those sports bodies ways to prevent recurrence of match-fixing in future. She termed match fixing a 'national crime'." Commenting on the BCCI's decision against the players for their role in match-fixing, Bharti said "the action was within the limitations and regulations" and added that the question of corrupt practices still remained.

The CBI termed the BCCI vice-president Kamal Morarka's statement against the agency as 'unfortunate and un-called for'. Morarka, a member of the BCCI disciplinary committee who missed the crucial meeting at Chennai on Tuesday had earlier said that the agency's match-fixing report read like a prostitute's diary.

A CBI official said "senior BCCI officials are trying to escape from their responsibility. So far he (Mr Morarka) hasn't named any CBI official as corrupt; he just made an allegation about the whole organisation. Let him name someone. We are ready to drag him to court."

Preetam Gandhe will lead Vidarbha in the Ranji one-dayers. There has also been some changes in the schedule of matches involving Vidarbha due to the recently concluded Test match between India and Zimbabwe while the Central Zone under-19 team will be selected on Dec 18 at Nagpur.

The squad: Preetam Gandhe (capt), Alind Naidu (v-capt), Amit Deshpande(wk), Vivek Naidu (wk), Shailesh Harbade, Adwait Manohar, Chandershekhar Atram, Sameer Khare, Abhijeet Piprode, Amol Jichkar, Umesh Patil, Dhiraj Sharma, Kishore Ben and Rahul Jadhav.

The changes in the schedule are: The under-16 match between Vidarbha and UPCA will be played from December 12 to 14 instead of December 15 to 17 at Nagpur; The under-22 game between Vidarbha and MPCA will be played from December 16 to 18 instead of from December 4 to 6 at Nagpur. The - Rajasthan game will be played from Dec 23 to 25 at -- while the Vidarbha vs Railways match, to be played from December 22 to 24 at Delhi stands cancelled. The Vidarbha vs UPCA tie will be played from December 29 to 31 at Kanpur instead of from December 28 to 30.