Outlook, which broke the match-fixing story way back in June 1997, came up with further confirmation of Mohammed Azharuddin’s role in the match-fixing controversy ("I took 10 lakhs", Apr 18) last week. Interestingly, we received a telegram from Azharuddin’s lawyers at our Delhi office last Monday—three days after the magazine hit the stands. The ex-Indian captain did not contest the authenticity of his handwritten faxed "confession". Instead, his lawyers claimed that since Azhar was fighting a life-ban—imposed on him by the BCCI in the Andhra Pradesh High Court—the matter was sub-judice. In fact, this sub-judice argument has been repeatedly used by Azhar in the brief comments he made to the media in response to our story. At any rate, the Outlook story did not concern itself with the merits or demerits of the BCCI ban. It was merely a continuation of our investigation into a controversy which has tarnished the reputation of the game. Not only does the "confession" reveal Azhar’s own role and the role of gangster-on-the-lam Abu Salem, but a host of bookies are also mentioned. These dubious gentlemen have always denied they are involved in match-fixing, but Azhar’s confession confirms that they were extremely active. The full story on all this is yet to emerge. When it does, it will be even more sensational than what has been revealed thus far.
As reliable reports from the Ahmedabad India-Pakistan limited-overs match indicate, betting and match-fixing are still rampant despite the many precautions taken by the authorities. The mysterious water on the ground which delayed the start of the match apparently helped bookies make a fortune. The officials of the state cricket association and some ex-players are believed to be part of the Ahmedabad racket. Meanwhile, another self-confessed match-fixer, Wasim Akram, continues to function as an expert commentator on espn-Star Sports.
By Outlook Bureau
