Hyderabad: Terming the disciplinary proceedings against him as an 'eyewash', former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin on Thursday told a city court that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was prejudiced and pre-determined to implicate him in the match-fixing case. The Hyderabadi batsman, banned for life from playing cricket, said he was meted out a 'raw deal' by BCCI and accused former CBI joint director Madhavan, who probed the scandal, of lacking in adequate knowledge for conducting disciplinary proceedings. "Muthaiah (then BCCI president) and Madhavan had pre-decided to implicate me in match-fixing case and the entire disciplinary proceeding, was conducted at the instance of Muthaiah, was as an eyewash," Azhar told BCCI counsels during the cross- examination at the court of the second additional chief judge M Vijayalakshmi. He alleged that Madhavan, appointed by BCCI to probe the match-fixing case, had also turned down his request to take the assistance of a lawyer during the inquiry proceedings conducted at Hyderabad. The stylish batsman replied in the negative when the counsels asked him whether he felt Madhavan was being independent and fair with adequate knowledge of cricket. Stating that Madhavan was a 'practicing lawyer working for BCCI president', Azhar sought to drive home his point that the disciplinary proceedings against him were an eyewash. Azhar accused Madhavan of "leaking out information", furnished by him during the inquiry proceedings. Stating that he had submitted to Madhavan his income tax returns and other confidential material with a request that such information should not be leaked out to the media, he claimed the entire information was leaked out. Azhar, however, admitted that he had not produced any documentary proof to suggest the relationship of the advocate and client between Madhavan and Muthaiah. The additional chief judge posted the case to further hearing on February 7.
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