Indian news round-up

Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma said on Tuesday that the Crime Branch is likely to send an official to Britain in order to extradite Sanjay Chawla, the prime accused in the match fixing scandal.

Speaking to an Indian news agency in New Delhi, Sharma said ''Chawla has been asked to return to India. We might even send an officer to London.'' He said that the Crime Branch had contacted the Interpol as soon as it interrogated another bookie Rajesh Kalra and added ''We have not received any information from Interpol so far.''

Sharma also denied knowledge of the Delhi police asking for the extradition of Hansie Cronje for questioning him regarding the allegations or that it had any plan of sending an official to attend the King Commission hearings in Cape Town.

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) JY Lele on Tuesday confirmed the Indian team's participation in a triangular One-day series in Sharjah from October 20 to 27. Apart from India, the tournament will feature Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to a Gulf newspaper from Baroda, Lele said ``We will be going to Sharjah. In fact, we have already signed a contract with them confirming our participation in the tournament.'' He thus cleared doubts regarding India's participation in the tourney following the BCCI's decision to withdraw from the Singapore and Dubai tournaments.

India have also rejected the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) offer to play a three-match series against Pakistan in England in September. But India have not pulled out of the Sahara Cup matches against Pakistan in Toronto during September citing reasons of a five year contract with the sponsors.

Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim has been discharged from the Sankara Nethralaya hospital in Chennai after undergoing medical treatment for an injury leading to compression of retina and his vision. Karim sustained the injury when he was hit by a delivery from Anil Kumble during India's match against Bangladesh in the recently concluded Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Speaking to the press, Lingam Gopal, who performed a glacoma surgery on Karim's right eye, said ``He was discharged formally three days ago, Karim, however, is taking a routine check up once in two days.''

Karim said that the pressure on his eye has considerably eased as also his vision. He said ``I will be able to return to the nets after a final check up with Dr Gopal in the first week of July.''