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    MUMBAI, India -- Disgraced cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin is elated at his inclusion among players India plans to honor next month, news reports said on Friday, but the move has caused unrest at the International Cricket Council. International cricket observers last week were stunned when India's cricket board announced it planned to honor Azharuddin -- found guilty of match-fixing -- among a group of high-profile players for their services to cricket. "Infinite patience has paid off," he told the The Asian Age newspaper. The Daily News and Analysis newspaper said Azharuddin confirmed he would attend the ceremony where all living Indian captains will be honored. "I have received the invitation and it will be a great privilege to be with the cricketing greats of the country," Azharuddin said. "You have to accept all things in life ... to stay cool in tough times. I don't live in the past, I look forward to better things in life." The Indian board's inquiry in 2000 found Azharuddin, who led India at three World Cups, and teammate Ajay Sharma guilty of match-fixing and dealing with illegal bookmakers. Both were banned from ever playing, coaching or acting in any official position in cricket. Two other Indian players -- Ajay Jadeja and Manoj Prabhakar -- were suspended for five years. Azharuddin has mounted a legal challenge against the ban. An Indian cricket board statement said several board members felt the former captain had suffered enough. Reports have surfaced that the Indian board is contemplating overturning the lifetime ban that it imposed on Azharuddin. The ICC on Thursday issued guidelines for reinstating a banned player, without mentioning any specific cases. The ICC said the revocation of a ban could only be heard by the game's governing body. Formal request"The process would begin with the banned player writing to the ICC's chief executive, making a formal request to be reinstated," the ICC said in a statement. The procedure outlined by the ICC said its chief executive would "consider the request and has the absolute discretion to reinstate the player if he was satisfied it was appropriate to do so." However, the Indian board said it did not need the ICC's permission to reinstate its players. "As far as I know, the right for banning or lifting the ban on an Indian player rests with the Indian board," said Niranjan Shah, the board secretary. |
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Azharuddin's ban was imposed after an Indian board inquiry in 2000.
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