Shastri corroborates Prabhakar's statement

Wednesday, May 24 turned out to be an eventful day in the history of both Indian cricket and the match-fixing scam. Things started to fall apart like a pack of cards. After six years of silence, former Indian allrounder Manoj Prabhakar revealed the name of the person who offered him a bribe of Rs. 25 lakhs to underperform in a 1994 Singer Cup match in Sri Lanka. Later he deposed before the Central Bureau of Investigation office at New Delhi.

In an interview to an Indian website, Prabhakar did not blow the whistle but the siren. Replying to a question the former Delhi player said "The name I am going to take is not a small name. But if I don't take it now it will be too late. I know, he knows and God knows. It is Kapil Dev."

Perhaps there was nothing new in Prabhakar's statement since former BCCI president IS Bindra had first named Kapil Dev in an interview to CNN, which was later confirmed by Home Minister LK Advani. All the same, Prabhakar's revelations, though along expected lines, could still be termed sensational. Undoubtedly the initial reaction was one of shock and a feeling of sadness for the greatest allrounder India has produced.

During the course of the interview Prabhakar said the players who knew about the incident were Mohd. Azharuddin, Ajit Wadekar, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, Navjot Sidhu while Nayan Mongia and Prashant Vaidya.

Confirming Prabhakar's statement Ravi Shastri who was a television commentator for the Singer Cup said in an interview to an Indian website that "Manoj did speak to me about exactly this during the tour in Colombo in 1994. My advice to Manoj was clear - to inform his team management."

Speaking to another website, the then Indian captain Mohd. Azharuddin said "What do you want from me, I don't know what Prabhakar has said. With the Asia Cup just a few days away, I only want to focus on my cricket and nothing else. I don't want any distractions."

Nayan Mongia said the matter was with the CBI and he could not say anything. "The CBI is investigating the case. Why don't you ask them? I have nothing to say on this."

The then manager of the Indian team Ajit Wadekar in an interview to an TV channel said that he had already deposed about what he knew before the CBI and the Chandrachud commission and he could not make any public comment for now.

Former Indian captain Bishen Bedi and selector Madal Lal said they were sick of the whole thing. While ex-BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra said he felt sorry for Kapil, ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya was unavailable for comment.

Responding to a question from an Indian newspaper from Delhi, Bedi said though it was tragic, he added "I am confident truth will prevail in the end, but as of now I am sick and tired of it all."

Madan Lal, a former coach, said he would not believe Prabhakar and said "I have faith in Kapil. I won't believe anyone who says Kapil had done such a thing, it's just impossible."

In Pune, chairman of selectors Chandu Borde talking to a news agency said the allegations on Kapil Dev were "disturbing and unfortunate." Borde added "I feel one should not make such allegations unless one can substantiate it. I feel personally that at present the statements (of Prabhakar) are mere speculations."

Borde further stated "All that I can say is that this glorious game is passing through a very bad situtation. The allegations and counter allegations are very counterproductive to the interests of this game." The statements he said "breed confusion in the minds of the people and they draw different conclusions which is detrimental to the game."

Earlier in the day the CBI which is probing the betting and matchfixing case had an unexpected visitor at 2.30 pm. Prabhakar walked into the CBI's office to depose before the investigation agency. He spent about an hour with the special team of about three officers headed by CBI Joint Director RS Siwani.

At the the end of the session an officer said "The statement is informative and crucial for our investigations. Asked whether Prabhakar named former Indian captain Kapil Dev, the officer replied "I am not in a position to reveal this."

The last straw may well be the agency report from Paris today quoting Muthiah as saying: "When he met me in Delhi last week, I asked Manoj Prabhakar to go to the CBI and he said 'It will serve no purpose for I will not leave Kapil Dev'."

Meanwhile responding to Prabhakar's charges, Kapil Dev in an interview to a TV chennel said that his lawyers would respond to the charges on Thursday and that he is suing Bindra for Rs. 10 crores.