Gautam Gambhir, the Indian cricketer has hit out at the decision of Cricket Association of Bengal to invite Mohammed Azharuddin for a ceremonial ringing of the bell to mark the start of India’s first T20I against West Indies in Kolkata.
Mohammed Azharuddin had been called for the ceremony by the CAB – presently helmed by another former captain in Sourav Ganguly – but Gambhir believes Azharuddin’s presence was against the BCCI’s No-Tolerance Policy against corruption.
Gambhir expressed his ‘shock’ at the gesture towards the tainted ex-cricketer while addressing both the BCCI and the Committee of Administrators, in addition to the CAB.
He took on Twitter and wrote ‘India may have won today at Eden but I am sorry @bcci, CoA &CAB lost. Looks like the No Tolerance Policy against Corrupt takes a leave on Sundays! I know he was allowed to contest HCA polls but then this is shocking…The bell is ringing, hope the powers that be are listening.
India may have won today at Eden but I am sorry @bcci, CoA &CAB lost. Looks like the No Tolerance Policy against Corrupt takes a leave on Sundays! I know he was allowed to contest HCA polls but then this is shocking….The bell is ringing, hope the powers that be are listening. pic.twitter.com/0HKbp2Bs9r
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) November 4, 2018
Azharuddin, who completed the ritual of ringing the bell at Kolkata, was earlier handed a lifetime ban by BCCI for his involvement in the 2000 match-fixing scandal. However, the ban was lifted after 12 years in 2012 by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.