BCCI defends ban on Azhar; files counter affidavit

BCCI defends ban on Azhar; files counter affidavit
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

FEB 14: Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday filed its counter affidavit in the city civil court here, defending the ban imposed by it on former captain Mohd Azharuddin.

Counsel for BCCI, Narotham Reddy filed the reply on behalf of BCCI before the second additional Chief Judge J Shyamsundar Rao. In his reply, the counsel justified and upheld all the actions of BCCI on Azharuddin, including the imposition of life ban following his alleged involvement in match fixing scandal.

However, the BCCI President Dr AC Muthiah and former CBI joint director K Madhavan, who have also been named as respondents in a suit filed here by former captain could not file their counter affidavits today and sought more time.

Hence, the Judge has given time to both the respondents to file their replies by February 26 after which the date for detailed hearing of the arguments would be announced.

Azhar had filed the suit in the city civil court here on January 30 challenging life ban imposed on him by the cricket board contending that appointment of Madhavan as enquiry commissioner was not in accordance with the BCCI rules.

Naming the BCCI, Madhavan and Muthiah as respondents, he prayed the court to declare as null and void the life ban imposed on him, and the findings of Madhavan Committe report on match fixing.

Following this, the court issued urgent notices to BCCI, Muthiah and Madhavan to file their counter affidavits by February 14.

Lele denies report

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today denied that it had signed an undertaking at the recent International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Melbourne that it was ready to be financially penalised for not fulfulling tour commitments as per the ten-year programme chalked out by the ICC.

The BCCI was reacting to certain news reports in the Pakistani media stating that Indian board had made an committment to be ready to face financial penalty.

Refuting the reports, BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele who attended the recent ICC meeting said that we have not done so. On the other hand we have told the ICC in very clear terms we will fulfill the committments only if the Indian Government clears them.

Lele said that there was a proposal to this effect from the Pakistani board that failure to honour committments should be penalised. There are several proposals at such meetings. ``But we have not agreed to this proposal,'' Lele who returned from Australia said here today.