Will Shastri bring a new twist to the drama?

Predictably enough, there was has been widespread criticism of Brig. Md Nasir's comments in Sri Lanka that India and Indian bookies were alone responsible for the match fixing scandal. And if anything, Australian batsman Ricky Ponting's disclosure on Wednesday could make Md Nasir eat humble pie. It could also prove to him that approaching a player to fix matches is not the monopoly of the Indians alone and there are others too involved in this rut.

Talking to the press in Mumbai, Ponting said he too had once been approached by a bookie. When asked whether he was an Indian, Ponting shook his head in the negative. Ponting went on to say that the first thing he did was to inform the Australian Cricket Board. "I was aware of the implications of the Mark Waugh and Shane Warne affair and took these precautions," he admitted.

Ponting said it is sad to hear of these things for the past four or five months. ``The ICC and the ACB are doing what they can. We will be signing declarations about being and staying clean before we tour next. We have been told that if we are approached by any bookie, we have to go straight to the manager. There is no way it will creep into our game. The sooner we get it out of the newspapers and TV screens, the better it will be for the game," added Ponting, who is in India to conduct coaching clinics for youngsters. He is scheduled to visit Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.

Meanwhile, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources said they would summon former Indian captain Ravi Shastri in connection with the match-fixing case. Shastri is the only cricketer to have corroborated the statement made by Manoj Prabhakar that Kapil Dev allegedly tried to offer him a bribe to under perform in the 1994 Singer Cup in Colombo. It is expected that Shastri will be questioned after his arrival from Sri Lanka were he is on duty as a TV commentator. The sources said it would be interesting to see what he says in his appearance before the special crime branch of the agency, which is probing the scandal.

In a related incident, former Indian all rounder Manoj Prabhakar, who was re-examined by the CBI again on Wednesday, was asked by a news agency about the authenticity of the video tapes. Prabhakar said "this question should be put to the website which is displaying them." Prabhakar refused to comment about what he had disclosed to the agency yesterday and said "I have promised them to be present whenever needed."

With disclosures about the involvement of non-Indian bookies now making the rounds, more contradictions have come to the fore. The denial by all those who deposed before the CBI about the authenticity of the tapes and the alleged bribe offer made by Prabhakar has forced the agency to call back the player a third time. Prabhakar himself has now passed the buck on to the website. Given this complex situation, one eagerly awaits Shastri's deposition before the agency. His evidence could throw more light on the issue but could also bring a fresh twist to the drama.