The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday lifted the life ban on former cricket captain and Lok Sabha member Mohammed Azharuddin by the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), citing lack of evidence. It also struck down BCCI’s order debarring him from playing cricket and holding any position in the International Cricket Council (ICC), the board or any of its affiliate associations.
The BCCI order prevented him from playing any cricket matches conducted or authorised by it or the ICC or its affiliate associations.
The high court held that match fixing and betting scandals in cricket are nothing but the result of the inaction of the BCCI to take appropriate action as per legal procedure. A division bench comprising justices Ashutosh Mohunta and G Krishna Mohan Reddy allowed an appeal by the former captain challenging an order of the Second Additional Chief Judge, City Civil Court, Hyderabad, which had earlier upheld the BCCI ban on him.
“The board acted in post-haste under self-imposed compulsion in view of the existence of various circumstances then. This monopolised, unreasonable and whimsical attitude of the board is highly deprecated,” the bench remarked.
The BCCI imposed the ban on Azharuddin on December 5, 2000, for his alleged involvement in match fixing. He challenged the decision before a lower court in 2001, but his petition was dismissed on August 27, 2003. He then moved the HC.
Justice Mohunta said the order of the BCCI holding that the plaintiff will not be eligible for any benefit matches allotted/conducted by the BCCI or its affiliate members and directing the forfeiture of BCCI’s contribution to his benevolent fund accrued as on the date of the said order shall also stand set aside.