Former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin lashed out at Vinod Kambli for hinting that India’s 1996 World Cup semi-final match could have been fixed, saying the allegations have been made by a person who lacks character and were “absolutely rubbish”.
“Absolutely rubbish, whatever he (Kambli) is talking. He doesn’t know what he is talking, when you have people who have no character and no background come on TV and talk absolute rubbish in front of the nation and demeaning all the players who played in the team, it is totally disrespectful and its very sad,” a livid Azharuddin told reporters.
Azharuddin, who was the Indian captain at that time, said the decision to field first was a collective decision.
“Maybe when he was sitting in the meeting, he must have been sleeping,” he added.
Kambli, a former Indian cricketer who has often been embroiled in controversies both on and off the field, raised suspicion on the 1996 World Cup semifinal between India and Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and said he found “something amiss” in the game.
“I will never forget the 1996 match because my career ended after this and I was dropped from the team. I was stunned by India’s decision to field,” Kambli had said.
“I was standing on one side and on the other end my fellow batsman was telling me that we would chase the target. However, soon after they quickly got out one by one. I don't know what transpired.
“I was not given a chance to speak and was dropped soon after. Our team manager at that time Ajit Wadekar was aware
of everything. He had even
written an article afterwards that Vinod Kambli had been made a scapegoat.” Azharuddin, however, refuted all the allegations levelled against him saying it was a team decision to field after winning the toss in the high-profile match.
“It was a team decision which was taken by all the team members that when we win the toss we will field. Whatever he is talking is absolutely rubbish and complete nonsense”.
Azharuddin also contested claims that Kambli was made a scapegoat, saying the cricketer got enough chances to prove himself but failed to capitalise on the opportunities.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif lashed out at a former ICC anti-corruption chief for taking a decade to reveal that all top international teams were involved in fixing, not just Pakistan.
Paul Condon, the founding head of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit, revealed this week that all of cricket’s leading countries were involved in the fixing of major matches. Latif questioned why it took Condon so long to make that revelation.
“I can’t understand why he took 10 long years to unearth the fact that all the teams, in one way or the other, were involved in fixing,” Latif told agencies. “The long silence actually suggests that Mr. Condon turned a blind eye to the menace.”
Latif had blown the whistle on his team-mates for being involved in match-fixing during the 1994 tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe. It may be recalled that the former Pakistan wicketkeeper had made some startling revelations in the past in relation to match-fixing.
He also gave evidence to a judicial inquiry on fixing between 1998-2000 that resulted in life bans for former Pakistan captain Salim Malik and fast-bowler Ata-Ur Rehman, and fines for six other top players. Latif acknowledged that fixing cannot be curbed totally but said “at least premier tournaments like the World Cup could be monitored”. “It’s not rocket science only cricket knowledge with common sense that can destroy the efforts of maligning the sport.”
Latif advised cricketers to galvanise anti-corruption efforts. “The ACSU (ICC’s anti-corruption unit) lacks the ability. They might be the best in their respective fields, but cricket is a different ball game. I have said it before and will say it again that cricketers need to be included in the ACSU to make it effective.”
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