Jadeja's return put on hold

Ajay Jadeja's hopes of an early comeback to Indian cricket were dealt a severe blow when the New Delhi High Court ruled that he cannot play any sort of match while it considers the allegations from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Three years ago, the BCCI banned Jadeja from all competitive cricket for five years following his alleged involvement with cricket bookies. However, this month a court-appointed arbitrator, Justice J K Mehra, asked the BCCI to lift the ban, on the grounds that the board never brought specific charges against Jadeja. But the BCCI reacted by filing a statement to that effect at the end of April, and the High Court now says those objections must be considered before Jadeja is allowed to play again.

Jadeja - who has played 15 Tests and 196 one-day internationals for India - was one of four players banned in 2000 after they were accused of dealings with bookmakers. Mohammad Azharuddin, a former national captain, and Ajay Sharma were banned for life, while Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar were suspended for five years.