International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani voiced his displeasure at former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin being hired as an expert television commentator, saying the disgraced cricketer has no place in the game.
He was addressing a news conference in New Delhi along with ICC Chief Executive Malcom Speed.
"We are disappointed that Mohammad Azharuddin, who has been accused for his alleged involvement in match-fixing, and who has been banned for life, should have been hired by a private television channel to give expert comments on cricket matches in the India-Pakistan cricket series in March-April this year. We in the ICC have a zero level tolerance for corruption in the game of cricket and banned players should not be allowed to give their views on the game of cricket," Mani said.
Asked why the ICC is picking on Azharuddin when Ajay Jadeja, who was also banned for five years for his involvement in the match-fixing episode, continues to give provide comments on various television networks, Malcom Speed said Jadeja had been cleared by the court.
"We understand that Jadeja had approached the court and the court has given its verdict in his favour. But Azhar's case is still pending in the court and till this ban is turned over by the court ruling, as far as the ICC is concerned, he continues to serve a life ban," Speed added.
Mani and Speed also defended Shane Warne doing cricket commentary and writing in newspapers during the period he was serving a one-year drug ban.
"Shane Warne's case is different in the sense that he was banned by the Australian Cricket Board and not by the ICC," Mani said.
The apex body of the cricket, he said, has appointed a committee to go into allegations of racism in the selection of Zimbabwe's team.
"We do not agree with the accusation that the ICC has been soft in handling the Zimbabwe cricket dispute. We had banned Zimbabwe from playing Test matches after the Zimbabwe cricket board banned 13 players over the issue of payments. We have several good proposals with us and we are talking to both the administrators as well as the players to sort out the matter," he said.
Asked if the 2006 Asia Cup would be held in India, Mani said as long as the Government of India continues to tax cricket events at 30-40 per cent it would be difficult to hold international events in India.
"We have got hundred per cent tax exemption from the UK, South Africa, Pakistan, Australia and West Indies. So far the tax problems relating to the 1996 World Cup have not been sorted out. We have shifted the 2004 Asia Cup, which was to be held in India, to England for the same reasons. If the Government of India does not grant us tax exemption India is likely to lose the 2006 Asia Cup and other international events related to cricket," he said.
A major portion of the press conference was devoted to questions relating to Muthiah Muralitharan.
"Let me clarify that there is no ban on Murali. Only he has been advised not to use his special ball 'doosra'. In case of spin bowlers five per cent margin of straightening of the wrist is allowed after bowling, but in Murali's case it is 14 per cent.
"After working on his action for sometime it has come down to 10 per cent which is twice the margin allowed," Speed said.
Mani said Muralitharan is a great player and expressed hope that the world record would stay with the Sri Lankan spinner.
He also said the ICC has constituted a technical committee, under the chairmanship of Sunil Gavaskar, to videotape all spinners' actions in next two months and it will give its verdict in November.
Asked how much money the ICC generates through matches and international events, Mani replied that in March 2004 the net earnings of the ICC stood at 194 million dollars out of which 100 million is spent on promotion of cricket.
"We are a no-profit organization. Every single penny that is spent is accounted for. There is a complete transparency in our dealings," Mani claimed.
Mani and Speed expressed an inability to curb betting in the game.
"We can tell you for sure that we have come down heavily on match-fixing, and if any player is found involved strict action would be taken against him. But millions of dollars are at stake during the one-day games. There is very little that we can do about it," Mani said.