January 28, 2003	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 24, 1423

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NEW DELHI, Jan 27: A five-year ban on former Test all-rounder Ajay Jadeja over allegations of match-fixing was overturned by an Indian court on Monday.

The decision was announced by arbitrator J.K. Mehra, a former judge, appointed by the New Delhi High Court.

“The arbitrator made his final decision today, quashing the ban,” Jadeja’s lawyer Vineet Malhota said.

“The court said that the India board’s internal probe was illegal and has set it aside. Ajay is now eligible to play cricket for the country,” he added.

Jadeja, 31, was banned from all cricket by India’s national cricket board in December 2000 after an internal inquiry into a federal report on corruption in the game.

An elated Jadeja, who is shooting his maiden Bollywood movie in the southern state of Kerala, said he had been vindicated by the decision.

“I am very happy and relieved with the court ruling,” he said. “I have always been playing. I never left playing, I would love to play again.”

Former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and Test player Ajay Sharma were banned for life, while Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar received five-year suspensions.

All four players denied any wrongdoing.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials said they would comment only after studying the order in detail.

Lawyers expect the decision could also help Azharuddin, who has challenged the ban in court in his hometown of Hyderabad, and the other suspended players.

The match-fixing saga, which shook world cricket three years ago, blew up in April 2000 when Delhi police charged former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje of alleged match-fixing.

Cronje later admitted accepting $130,000 in bribes from bookmakers to influence international matches.—Reuters