BCCI knows nothing, puts its bets on Govt, Delhi police

On the advice of the ICC, the BCCI also announced a Code of Conduct for its players. The board said that while a detailed guideline will be formulated soon, several measures come into immediate effect, namely:

* Players have to report to the team manager if they are approached by bookmakers or if they know of others being approached.
* Failure to do so will be a punishable offence.
* If a player is found guilty of accepting money from a bookmaker for any reason, the penalty will be exemplary, including a sizeable suspension and the reason will be made public.
* If players are approached on behalf of bookies, the local police should be informed as soon as possible.

The BCCI pledged to extend full cooperation to the investigative agency while admitting that Justice Chandrachud’s inquiry following Manoj Prabhakar’s allegations did not have investigative powers. And that it had failed to substantiate the allegations brought by Prabhakar.

In a bid to show that it was transparent, the BCCI also decided to request the Sports Ministry to table Chandrachud’s report in Parliament and said that it would also be put on the Internet.

But the main emphasis of today’s meeting seemed to be on putting the brakes on the flurry of allegations about players’ involvement in match-fixing and betting. The BCCI virtually pulled up former Board president I S Bindra for alleging that several former managers and coaches of the Indian team had mentioned the names of some cricketers regarding their involvement in match fixing. “Bindra’s statement in this regard is incorrect and untrue,” said Dalmiya.

The BCCI has decided to direct Raj Singh Dungarpur to forward the reports of Sunil Deb, Madan Lal, D V Subba Rao, Brijesh Patel, I S Bindra and Jyoti Bajpai (since they were the presidents when the tours in question had taken place) to the Sport Ministry and to the Delhi police.

“Bindra may have been speculating or talking loosely,” said A C Muthaiah after the meeting. “Bindra telephoned me and I told him that the statement made by him was wrong and that he should subject himself to the investigative agency and depose. The statement was certainly defamatory.”

The BCCI has also decided to direct all its present and former office bearers, members, players officials, coaches, and managers to subject themselves to the inquiry by the Delhi police. It said it would also appeal to journalists and fans to come forward and disclose any relevant material before the inquiry authority.

The BCCI will appeal to the government to provide adequate security to those who would depose before the investigating agency and disclose material facts.

The BCCI also referred to a TV interview in which I S Bindra had claimed to have reprimanded three Indian cricketers for their involvement in match fixing. Bindra had also mentioned that a former secretary of the Pakistan cricket board had told him that a match between India and New Zealand at Sharjah was fixed. But the BCCI said that Bindra had not shared the same with other board members and till date the board did not have any such information. The BCCI would try and get these details and would like to place these before the ICC’s special session to be hald at Lord’s on May 2 and 3.