HYDERABAD, Aug 27: Former Indian cricket skipper Mohammad Azharuddin Wednesday suffered a setback in his legal battle when a city court dismissed his suit challenging the life ban imposed on him by the Indian cricket authorties in wake of match fixing allegations.

A brief order dismissing Azhar’s suit was pronounced by the second additional chief judge of city civil court Dasaramaiah, a counsel of BCCI A. Venkatesh said after the court judgement.

“As things stand, our (BCCI) ban on Azharuddin stands,” the counsel said adding it was for the plaintiff to decide future course.

Azhar had filed the suit in December 2000 challenging ban from all international cricket for life and made BCCI, CBI Deputy Director K. Madhavan, who had probed the match fixing scandal and former BCCI chief A.C. Muthiah as respondents.

When contacted, Azhar’s cousel said, “We are yet to receive a copy of the judgement and cannot comment on the grounds under which the suit has been dismissed.”

Azhar was not available for comments and his office here maintained that he was out of station.—PPI