Sports

The Truth, Not Out!

Something about the Abhijit Kale affair doesn't make sense. Is he a victim? <a href=pti_coverage.asp?gid=64 target=_blank> Updates</a>

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The Truth, Not Out!
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  • Former Hyderabad and India A player Vanka Pratap claimed that a middleman for a national selector approached him in 1998, offering to buy him a place in the Indian squad. "I chose not to go down that road so I can't provide any proof. If I name the selector or the mediator, there can be legal problems," says Pratap. He claims cricketers at all levels of the game are routinely approached by people claiming they can help them in the selections. His Hyderabad teammate Pawan Kumar supports him. "Often if one looks at performances and the players picked, it's obvious the selection process is not all that transparent," says Kumar.

  • A national newspaper produced a "rate card" for selection to various age-group teams in Uttar Pradesh. Ritesh Yadav, an under-17 player, pointed the finger at UP selectors Shashikant Khandekar and Gopal Sharma: "They asked me to pay Rs 50,000. When I said I can't, they said, 'Thank you. You may go.' When I gave this in writing to Mr Dalmiya, he assured me that he would look into the matter. Now it seems no action was taken."

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  • Former BCCI treasurer Kishore Rungta told pti that though there were no formal complaints, the integrity of some selectors was questioned in the past when two of them were found with prostitutes in their hotel rooms. "There were also rumours regarding them getting money," he said.

  • Former BCCI secretary J.Y. Lele predicts Kale will come out clean. "This is not the first time this has happened and this will not be the last either," he said, confirming that team slots have been bought in the past, but nothing could ever be proved.
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