Indian MPs want ban on Azharuddin lifted

New Delhi: The Indian cricket board has come under pressure from the Congress party to revoke a life ban on former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin for his alleged involvement in the 2000 match-fixing scandal.

Azharuddin, who was one of the key campaigners for the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition, is also a Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Moradabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He was banned for life after the BCCI found him guilty of being involved in the scandal that rocked Indian cricket. The mover to clear his name from the match fixing episode has been jointly initiated by members of the UPA and cricket managers, the Times of India reported.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Digvijay Singh was quoted by the newspaper as saying : "We want the lifetime ban to go from the man who brought laurels to the country with his skills. There were many players in the match-fixing case but they are all free of the ban. Why should the one on Azhar continue?”

In fact, some of the Congress MPs, including Jitin Prasad, BCCI’s Finance Committee chairman Rajiv Shukla, who is also a Congress spokesman, and actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar have met ICC vice-President and former BCCI President Sharad Pawar to put forth their demand, PTI reported.