Shetty attacks ICC for adopting double standards

Jaipur: The new BCCI officials seem to thrive on making statements against the International Cricket Council (ICC).

First it was Lalit Modi, then I.S. Bindra and now Ratnakar Shetty. From what has been going on, it looks like some publicity seeking stunt, especially since most of them hardly have any clue about the functioning of the ICC.

Most local dailies too have made big news highlighting the attacks without even bothering to check the facts.

Remarked a journalist: "When Bindra attacked the ICC on the Azharuddin ban issue, all of us knew that it is India who banned Azharuddin and not the ICC. But as far as we are concerned, Bindra's statements were sensational, and so we flashed it."

Same has been the case with Shetty's attack on Malcolm Speed. At Speed's press conference in Jaipur, he was careful not to make any statement against Azharuddin.

He only echoed the information that the ICC had been given from the BCCI about Azharuddin, which clearly stated that he is guilty of match fixing.

Shetty went on to attack the ICC stating that the world body has adopted double standards on players named in match fixing scandal.

The interesting part is Shetty's earlier statement about "the Indian board, in its exuberance to be holier than thou, have banned Azharuddin when other boards allowed their tainted players to carry on playing."

Speed had made it very clear that the ICC has not banned any cricketer on its own.

"It is the Indian cricket board which had found him guilty and banned him. A recommendation has to be made to the ICC committee in case of any ban to be lifted."

What one fails to understand is, what could the ICC do when India's recommendation to the ICC clearly states that Azharuddin is guilty?

Shetty could have hit out at the ICC had the world body conducted the enquiry on Azharuddin and banned him.

Shetty also went to comment that "For Mr. Speed to say that it is proved that Azharuddin had fixed matches is an authoritative and loaded statement. As the ICC chief executive, he should refrain from taking such high moral stance."

It is indeed ironic for an official to make such a statement when it is the Indian cricket board which had informed the international cricket body that Azharuddin was guilty and had fixed matches and hence have imposed a life ban on him.