M A I N   N E W S

Azhar may sue Cronje, Sunny

HYDERABAD, June 16 (PTI) — Test cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin is planning to sue disgraced South African captain Hansie Cronje and his former team mates Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Manoj Prabhakar accusing them of having ganged up to “frame” him.

In an interview to the daily Deccan Chronicle here, Azhar rejected the suggestion of Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa that he should step down till he is cleared in the match-fixing controversy.

“Why should I step down?” he asked stating that the Sports Minister’s suggestion was based on the allegation by Cronje who “himself admits before the King Commission that he has been lying till today”.

The former India captain accused Cronje of being “racist” and said “because our police taped him, the South Africans have conspired to fix the blame on Indians”.

Turning homeward, Azhar said “mainly because I belong to the minority community, I am being victimised and targeted, especially by some ex-cricketers who have a personal grudge against me”.

Accusing Shastri of lying in the Manoj Prabhakar tapes about his having bought a watch for Rs 6 lakh, Azharuddin said “I bought no such watch. The entire thing is a lie.”

Azhar said it was evident from the videotaped conversation that Shastri, Prabhakar, Gavaskar and a journalist “were plotting against me. They have ganged up to frame me”.

Asserting that the entire exercise was “just a vilification campaign”, Azhar said he planned to “sue all of them” — Cronje, Shastri, Prabhakar, Gavaskar, the website that produced the Prabhakar tapes and fast-food company McDonald’s (for putting up a hoarding ‘Azhar ne pucca khaya’).

“I have hired none other than Ram Jethmalani to represent me,” he said perhaps unaware of the fact that a person holding public office cannot be engaged as a lawyer.

Refuting the charge that he is wealthy, Azhar said he had already filed a case against (former Income Tax Commissioner) Vishwa Bandhu Gupta for stating that the stylish batsman was the cricketer who had declared Rs 16 crore under the VDIS scheme.

“I challenge and announce a prize of Rs 1 crore to anyone who can prove this charge,” he said.

He dared all former cricketers to declare their assets and asked “why is the Press quiet on the issue of 16 bookies attending a cricketer’s wedding and presenting a very expensive necklace to his wife? Why didn’t the Press go and find out who that cricketer was? The Press was also very quiet when cash and foreign exchange was found in a cricketer’s locker. Why is the Press not playing fair? Why are all these matters being hushed up?”

Azhar said “merely because I am from the minority community, even responsible persons allege that I have underworld connections. Only because I am from the minority community, the Press calls me a traitor”.

“I have never felt this but now I am beginning to feel this,” he said.

Azhar said one reason why he was not easily accessible was because he was often quoted wrongly.

“I never react angrily. When you are angry, you tend to say all kinds of things and I don’t like talking without thinking ... I am bitter, why angry, but I will not say anything uncalled for,” he said.

“I have never been controversial and neither do I have any regrets about the way I have led my life. Ups and downs are part of life, this is destiny. I am innocent,” he added.