Muthiah refutes Azhar’s allegation

JAN 17: Indian Cricket Board President, AC Muthiah, on Wednesday refuted Mohammed Azharuddin’s allegation that he opposed his selection as India’s captain saying he (Muthiah) was “nowhere in the picture” then.

Expressing his "anguish" about Azhar’s reported statement “when I was made captain, some people in BCCI were unhappy about my selection. The present BCCI President, AC Muthiah opposed my candidature,” the Board chief said he was nowhere in the picture when the captaincy of Azharuddin was being proposed and discussed in the year 1990. Muthiah joined the Board’s Working Committee only in 1997 and was elected as vice-president in 1998 in Kolkata.

Regarding Azharuddin’s re-appointment as captain in 1998, Muthiah denied he opposed the nomination in any fora.

Muthiah said he had always maintained and believed that selecting captain for the team was the job of the selection committee and declared that he saw no role whatsoever for him in the process.