CHENNAI, Oct 21: Former Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) chief A.C. Muthiah on Friday justified the ban slapped on ex-skipper Mohammad Azharuddin and some other cricketers in 2001 for their alleged involvement in match-fixing, saying the decision was taken after consulting the Central Bureau of Investigation and a top sleuth.

"I decided to ban Azhar and some other cricketers after consulting the CBI which had inquired into the matter," said Muthiah, who was the BCCI president when the life ban was imposed on Azhar and Ajay Sharma. Two other cricketers Ajay Jadeja and Nikhil Chopra were banned for five years each.

Muthiah said the board had also engaged one of the topmost investigators of the country K Madhavan to probe the matter.

"The decision to ban the cricketers were taken by me after thoroughly going into the merits of the CBI report and the findings of Madhavan who individually enquired with the cricketers," Muthiah said.

He said all the records of the probes were also available with the BCCI.

"The decisions were also approved by the board's Working Committee and General Body," he said.

On the BCCI's controversial decision to felicitate Azharuddin during the inauguration of its new headquarters in Mumbai on November 4, Muthiah said: "The BCCI is free to decide whether it is good for Indian cricket. I am nobody in the Board now."

The BCCI's announcement has sparked a debate with the International Cricket Council expressing its disapproval.

Standing firmly by its decision, the BCCI has even gone to the extent of saying that its ban order in retrospect appeared to be harsh compared to the lenient views taken about cricketers from other countries - also allegedly involved in match fixing -by their respective boards.—Agencies