The corruption in the game has to be weeded out: Bharti

Uma Bharti who succeeded SS Dhindsa as the new Union Sports Minister on Wednesday expressed her deep concern over the match-fixing scandal and said that corruption had to be weeded out of the game of cricket. Bharti said "Match-fixing is like corruption in any place and has to be weeded out of the game,"

Talking to the media in New Delhi, Bharti said "Beyond this I will not make any comment on the issue, which has been making headlines across the world," adding she has to talk to officials in her ministry to get a better picture of the steps being taken in formulating the government's response.

The five players named in the interim report and temporarily banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been summoned to appear before the boards anti-corruption Commissioner K Madhavan on November 12. BCCI sources said that the five players, Mohd. Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar, Ajay Jadeja, Ajay Sharma and Nayan Mongia, along with former Indian physio, Ali Irani will appear before Madhavan in Chennai.

Commenting on the CBI report, Madhavan said "the report is reasonably good." He added that "I will submit my report to BCCI latest by November 16 on the factual and legal aspects in relation to the CBI report." Madhavan is expected to submit his report to the BCCI's disciplinary committee by November 16. In turn the BCCI will hand over its findings to the Government on November 18.

Meanwhile, Indian interim coach Anshuman Gaekwad came down heavily on former Indian captains Azharuddin and Jadeja. Gaekwad, who was the Indian coach during the last World Cup in England said it hurts him to know that Azharuddin and Jadeja had betrayed the country. Talking in Calcutta before his last match as interim coach, Gaekwad said "Azharuddin and Jadeja betrayed the fine game of cricket itself and cheated the whole country. They also betrayed the team. I'm indeed ashamed of them."

He was asked for his comments on Azharuddin's statement to the CBI that the match between India and Pakistan at Jaipur in 1999 was fixed. "What can I say, how do I know who is doing what off the field", asked Gaekwad who was the coach during that series.

In a related development, the Ferozeshah Kotla groundsman Ram Adhar Chowdury has been suspended by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). A showcause notice has also been issued to Chowdury asking him why his services should not be terminated.

DDCA secretary Sunil Dev said "We are not happy doing this, but we have suspended Ram Adhar for 15 days and asked him to explain his conduct. He will definitely not be involved in preparing the wicket for the first Test against Zimbabwe here from November 18."

Asked for his reaction to the notice, the groundsman told AFP "I am not educated, I can't even read or understand what is in that notice. I am looking for someone to explain all this to me and answer the charges." In the CBI report Chowdury is said to have received a bribe of Rs.50,000 from Ajay Sharma for under-preparing the wicket for the one-off Test against Australia in 1996.

In Pakistan, England captain Naseer Hussain said it was a tough week for the team especially after former England captain Alec Stewart was named by the CBI. Hussain said "Cricket is now in front of everyone's mind. Stewart's story made it a tough week for us." He added "Stewart seems okay and had a nice trip to the Khyber Pass yesterday. It was a tough week for him."