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Asia Cup - 2004
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Asia Cup - 2004
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News
Azhar takes the mike, ICC says it’s
not cricket
NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken strong
exception to Mohammad Azharuddin covering the Asia Cup for a TV
channel.
“It is deeply disappointing,” said ICC president Ehsan Mani on
Sunday. “A banned player should not be involved in the game at any
level.”
ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed added that corruption was
a huge problem. “In the year 2000, there were nine Test-playing
nations and captains of three were banned for life for
match-fixing.”
Azharuddin was one.
In an intriguing twist, the Sri Lankan board said that Azharuddin —
in Sri Lanka for Aaj Tak — was cleared by both the BCCI and the ICC.
Sri Lankan cricket board media manager Ray Illangakoon said in
Dambulla that the BCCI had endorsed Azharuddin’s presence in the
media box on Sunday. “We had it cleared by the BCCI,” he said.
Illangakoon also said: “The Indian cricket board's media manager
Amrit Mathur today (on Sunday) spoke to me and sanctioned
Azharuddin's accreditation, and said that he could continue working
for a TV channel."
The ICC’s Jon Long — perhaps unaware of what his top bosses would
say in Delhi — also reportedly said that there was no bar from
giving a player media accreditation, even if he was banned for life
for match-fixing.
Mathur said the BCCI had nothing to do with the matter.
“They gave Azharuddin accreditation on their own. I got a call only
yesterday from the Lankan Board. They said they had given the
accreditation and as the ICC had no objection neither did the BCCI
have any. I said if the ICC had none, then neither did the BCCI.”
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