Prabhakar, politics and angry fans

As if Manoj Prabhakar did not have enough on his hands...

Having stirred up a hornets nest by accusing Kapil Dev of offering money to him to underperform Prabhakar now finds himself under pressure to prove his allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation has met the first of what will be a long list of 'witnesses.' Sunil Dev, former India manager and current Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) official was the first man to appear before the CBI.

While not revealing too much to newsmen, Sunil Dev told Star News that he had given the CBI "relevent information" about the match fixing scandal. Sunil Dev was manager of the Indian side that toured South Africa in 1997. Sunil Dev is known for his outspoken nature. He has in the past been quite critical of various aspects of Indian cricket.

In the mean time Manoj Prabhakar has made it clear that he is ready to depose before the CBI. Although he has not yet approached the CBI off his own initiative, Prabhakar told the press that he was ready to depose before the CBI when asked to do so. Prabhakar also refused to comment on any individual player.

It's hardly possible for Prabhakar to surprise the press any more. However, his announcement that he would rejoin politics in the near future was something that not too many people had anticipated. Prabhakar said that he would contest the next Lok Sabha elections from Ghaziabad. Haaving unsuccessfully ventured into politics once before, Prabhakar must have very good reasons for going back. In the recent past, he has had a few encounters with powerul politicians, notable among them the Home Minister LK Advani. Prabhakar is said to have spoken to Advani about the various issues involving cricket and corruption in particular.

Prabhakar's claims have had a serious impact on the cricket fans of this country. When an icon like Kapil Dev's name was dragged into the controversy the public demanded hard facts. Although the CBI have promised an exhaustive inquiry, nothing concrete has emerged so far.

At Delhi yesterday, angered fans took to the streets in protest. After burning effigies of both Prabhakar and Inderjit Singh Bindra, the crowd chanted slogans and demanded that Kapil Dev be exonerated.

As if all this is not enough, Prabhakar has taken the plunge once more and is poised to nake a re entry into politics.