Not unexpectedly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has treaded softly on the heat generated by the current match fixing scandal. Though those named are the South African captain Hansie Cronje and four of his teammates, the fact that the alleged phone conversations took place in India, that they were unearthed by the Delhi police and the series of matches involved India meant that the BCCI had to react to the controversy which has sent shock waves throughout the country.

However talking to reporters in Chennai on Sunday, BCCI president AC Muthiah was of the view that it is too early to comment on the matter. He wanted the Delhi police to prove the charges first so that the BCCI could take a stand on the issue. He however added that the all the details obtained by the BCCI would be placed before the working committee meeting on April 28. Replying to a question, he said that the United Cricket Board of South Africa had not contacted the BCCI. But he added that the BCCI was under no pressure as no Indian player had been named in the case.

In the meantime, the BCCI secretary JY Lele in a television interview, dismissed the charges made by the Delhi police saying, ``it is all rubbish. Such charges are baseless and cannot be proved.'' Asked in Chennai how he could dismiss the charges so frivolously, Lele, who was in the city to attend a routine BCCI meeting, said that it was his personal opinion.

The Delhi police however got a pat on their backs from the Heavy industries Minister and BCCI vice president Manohar Joshi. Defending the police for tapping the phones of the South African cricketers during their visit to India, Joshi speaking to reporters in Calcutta said ``when there is an offence, the police has every right to tap the phones.''

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