Kale may be banned for two years

The Indian board may ban Abhijit Kale from playing in any cricket organised by them for a period of two years. Kale, who attended a final disciplinary hearing a few days ago on charges of attempting to bribe his way into the Indian team, "failed to prove his innocence" according to board sources quoted in a Times of India report.

The report states that the disciplinary committee, consisting of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the board president, and Kamal Morarka and Ranabir Singh Mahendra, two vice-presidents, thought a stiff penalty in this case would serve as a deterrent for the future. While the report does not name its source at any stage, it presents several details into the hearing.

"Kale had enough time to prove his innocence and was given as much time as he wanted. However, he could not support his claims of innocence," said a source. The hearing provided Kale an opportunity to cross-examine Kiran More and Pranab Roy, the two selectors who alleged that Kale offered them money in exchange for being selected in the Indian team.

More brought his wife as a witness, and she is believed to have told the hearing that Kale's mother came to More's residence and said that her son would commit suicide if he was not picked in the Indian team. Rajiv Gupta, Roy's witness, said that he was present when Kale met the selector at a Mumbai airport. All along Kale has not denied the allegation that his mother travelled to Baroda and met More at his residence. However, he has consistently denied meeting Roy at the airport, and maintained that he did not offer any bribes to either selector.

The disciplinary committee was thus surprised that Kale did not bring a witness to prove that he was not at the airport at the time in question. The report quotes the source as saying: "Kale knew Roy would be bringing his witness and we had expected him to produce an alibi who would vouch that the Maharashtra batsman was with him in Thane or somewhere else at that time. That did not happen"

The report also said that the disciplinary committee dismissed the idea of letting Kale off with a fine. "There is no question of letting him off with a fine," the BCCI source said. "A fine is not enough punishment in such cases."

Apparently Dalmiya was keen to end the matter with this hearing, but could not do so as Morarka was busy with the national elections and could not be present at the hearing.