The Board of Control for Cricket in India has prohibited India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni from airing his views on the spot-fixing episode that scarred the just-concluded sixth edition of the Indian Premier League.
Speaking to the media in Mumbai, on the eve of the Indian team's departure for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy, he maintained a stoic silence on the scandal that led to the arrest of Rajasthan Royals players Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila, and his Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, refusing to reply to any questions on it.
Board of Control for Cricket in India media manager Dr R N Baba, at the start of the press conference, told media personnel that questions should be strictly be related to the Champions Trophy.
A few reporters, however, still threw a few at Dhoni, but he was unmoved and only flashed a smile despite being quizzed on the issue nearly 4-5 times during the interaction that lasted just 15 minutes.
Chennai Super Kings was dragged into the controversy after team principal Meiyappan was arrested by the Mumbai police for allegedly betting on matches in the cash-rich Twenty20 extravaganza.
Interestingly, earlier in the day even senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar also did not take any questions on the match-fixing saga when he interacted with journalists at a book launch in Mumbai.
Image: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
