Indian news round-up

The CBI report on betting and match-fixing in cricket, which detailed the worst-ever scandal in the game's history, was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The 164-page report, which was submitted to the then Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa on September 30 last year, had named five Indian cricketers including former captain Mohammad Azharuddin for their alleged involvement in match-fixing practices.

The report, which was completed in six months after the CBI registered a preliminary inquiry on May 4 at the request of the Sports Ministry, also named nine foreign players of having either allegedly taken money from the bookies or shown interest in match-fixing practices.

Acting on the report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India had banned Azharuddin and former Test cricketer Ajay Sharma for life and imposed five-year bans on Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar. All four denied the charges and Azharuddin and Jadeja have challenged the decision in separate petitions in court. The report also highlighted the security risk involved due to match-fixing and claimed that several underworld people were involved in the practice.

The report won laurels for the CBI at various international cricketing fora and several countries initiated inquiries based on the information contained in the report.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's availability for the three-match Test series in Sri Lanka from August 14 would be known only after the second bone scan on his injured right toe, scheduled for August 10, according to Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) joint secretary Mayank Khandwala.

Khandwala told PTI in Mumbai today that he spoke to the star batsman, who informed him that he was feeling much better but said the toe was still paining a bit. "He (Tendulkar) told me that the padding on the right toe was still on and he would get a clear picture only after the second bone scan in the second week of August," Khandwala added.

Though the selectors would be meeting here on August 2 to pick the Indian team for the Test series, a slot would be kept vacant to accommodate the master batsman at the last minute after he goes through the bone scan, according to BCCI sources.

Celebrated cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has become the 'Brand Champion' of Fiat, a popular car manufacturer. The master blaster's association with the brand will kick-off Fiat's new initiative into the Indian market, It will commence with the soonto-be launched new 'Palio', according to a company release in Chennai.

"The company feels Tendulkar is the perfect Brand Ambassador as his elevated level of performance and dynamic, creative strokeplay will get perfect with the approach that Fiat will soon adopt in the Indian market," the release said. It quoted Tendulkar as being equally pleased. "I have always been a big fan of Italian cars, especially Ferrari and I am happy to represent Fiat and Italian Motoring."

"Tendulkar is young, strong, dependable and above all, number one. That is exactly what Fiat is aiming to be,' said MP Bianchi, Fiat's Managing Director.