Kapil makes it finally to CBI

Indian cricketing icon Kapil Dev deposed before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday in New Delhi reports a news agency. The Indian coach was questioned for one and a half hours by the agency relating to the match fixing scandal and the allegations made by Manoj Prabhakar. He is last of the players to be questioned by the agency before it submits its interim report. Prabhakar alleged that Kapil was the player who offered him a bribe of Rs.25 lakhs to underperform in Sri Lanka in 1994. Both Kapil and CBI were tight lipped over the deposition.

Kapil's questioning was important as Ravi Shastri the only player who corroborated the allegations in a web site made by Prabhakar, was the last person to record a statement before the agency. Kapil has denied the charges before. Navjot Sidhu, Prashant Vaidya and Nayan Mongia, who were named as witness by Prabhakar too had stated that they did not witness any commotion between the two. The then coach Ajit Wadekar and captain Mohd. Azharuddin said they has no knowledge about the offer.

India's premier investigation agency has questioned players, officials and bookies including Azharuddin, Mongia, Wadekar, Sidhu, Prabhakar, Ajay Sharma and Sunil Dev apart from others. Subsequently a nationwide raid was carried out on some of the players, officials and bookies.

Kapil's fate is still hanging in balance with no definite decision on him taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). BCCI president AC Muthiah, who was authorised to speak to the former Indian captain on the issue said he will have a sitting with Kapil and decide the future course of action against the Indian coach before the September 15 camp.

Muthiah who is in Sharjah attending the Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) meeting was quoted by Gulf News as saying "The reports that I will be announcing a decision on Kapil on Thursday are incorrect. I will be having one more sitting with Kapil and then announce my decision."

On reports that a decision on Kapil was to have been made on Thursday, Muthiah said "As I said, a decision on Kapil will be made before the (conditioning) camp (for the probables for the ICC knock-out tournament in Nairobi). Reporters have come to the conclusion that I will be making the announcement on Thursday. A decision will now be made before the conditioning camp starting in Chennai on September 15". However, Muthiah himself had earlier said that "I will announce the decision a week before the conditioning camp begins."

Meanwhile, the Union Minister of State for Sports Shahnawaz Hussain reiterated again that those found guilty of match-fixing will be dealt with severely and an be given "exemplary punishment." Hussain talking to reporters in Siliguri said "The guilty players would be considered traitors and the Government would not hesitate to take the strictest ever measures against them."

The minister said the CBI probing the match-fixing scandal would submit its interim report by this month-end. The minister said the Government has plans to summon former South African captain Hansie Cronje to India for an interrogation. He also said a decision on Kapil would be taken soon by the BCCI. Earlier in the Parliament, Union Sports Minister SS Dhindsa had announced that the CBI would submit its report by September 15.