M A I N   N E W S

Cricket world shocked

MUMBAI, April 11 (PTI) — Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) secretary Jaywant Lele today refused to comment on the sacking of South African skipper Hansie Cronje after his admission that he was “dishonest” with his board regarding his involvement in the sensational match-fixing scandal.

Mr Lele told PTI from Baroda over the phone that he did not want to say anything about Cronje, who was named by the Delhi Police along with four team mates and two Indian bookies for allegedly fixing matches in the recent one-day series in India which the hosts won 3-2.

When reminded that he had termed the allegations against Cronje as “rubbish”, Mr Lele would only say “I don’t want to be misquoted again and hence I would not like to comment on it”.

He, however said none of the Indian players were involved in it.

Selection Committee Chairman Chandu Borde expressed shock over Cronje’s stunning admission.

“I am really shocked to hear this. Let us wait for the outcome of the matter and let us wait for the details,” he told PTI here. “Who could have thought that Cronje would have done this”, asked a bewildered Borde.

Former India captain and selection committee Chairman Ajit Wadekar did not want to comment and said “It is too early to say anything. Let us wait and see”.

UNI adds: Milind Rege, former Mumbai Ranji Trophy player and present selector of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team, said he could not believe that cricketers could do such a thing.

In Chennai, former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who is also Chairman of the BCCI Pitches Committee, sounded shocked, but refused to comment.

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) described as “shocking and unfortunate” Cronje’s admission of match-fixing.

Former BCCI President I S Bindra urged the Central Government to conduct a probe into the match-fixing allegations by constituting a commission under the commissions of Inquiry Act.

Talking to UNI in Chandigarh, Mr Bindra said such allegations definitely lowered the prestige of the game. “In future, every move of the players on the field will be viewed with suspicion,” he pointed out.

Referring to the BCCI-constituted inquiry committee manned by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Y V Chandrachud into former cricketer Manoj Prabhakar’s allegations on match-fixing, Mr Bindra said: “It (the exercise) was useless as Mr Justice Chandrachud had no judicial powers.’’

Former test cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu refused to respond, and said “I have no comments”.

Fresh summons to Kishan Kumar

NEW DELHI, April 11 (PTI) — Delhi police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today issued fresh summons to Bollywood actor Kishan Kumar to appear before them in connection with the match-fixing case even as the doctors treating Kishan Kumar declared him “unfit for cross-examination”.

Separate summons under 160 Cr PC were issued by a senior investigating officer Rishi Pal Assistant Commissioner of Police, on behalf of the Delhi police and by Rajeev Kumar on behalf of the ED, hospital sources said. Today’s summons were the fourth one by the Delhi police and the first one by the ED since Kishan Kumar was admitted to hospital on Friday with angina problem.