BCCI expected to ratify decisions

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is expected to ratify the three-member diciplinary committee's proposed punishment on cricketers found guilty of match-fixing at its special general body meeting in Calcutta on Wednesday.

The meeting, to be attended by representatives of all affiliated units, will study the reports of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the BCCI's anti-corruption commissioner K Madhavan before finalising the quantum of punishment on the players named in the report.

The players were given one last chance to explain their conduct vis-a-vis the CBI and Madhavan reports before the disciplinary committee, which met in Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting was scheduled to be held in Calcutta but was shifted to Delhi at the request of the players.

While former captain Mohammad Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Nayan Mongia, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma were named in the CBI report, the Madhavan report exonerated wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia of all charges.

The BCCI, which has been under pressure from the government ever since the match-fixing scandal broke out, is expected to hand out exemplary punishment, including a life ban, on some of the players.

The board's disciplinary committee comprises president A C Muthiah and vice-presidents Ram Prasad and Kamal Morarka.

Apart from discussing various issues related to match-fixing, the meeting will also deliberate on the fallout of the cancellation of the Indian team's tour of Pakistan.

The meeting, to be held at a city hotel, will also discuss the International Cricket Council's move to put more pressure on India in a bid to revive the Pakistan series.

Mail Cricket Editor