Gautam Gambhir lashes out at BCCI for letting Azharuddin to ring iconic bell at Eden Gardens

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir lashed out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday when former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin was given the honour to ring the bell at the iconic Eden Gardens before the first Twenty20 International (T20I) between India and West Indies in Kolkata.

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“India may have won today at Eden but I am sorry @bcci, CoA &CAB lost. Looks like the No Tolerance Policy against Corrupt takes a leave on Sundays! I know he was allowed to contest HCA polls but then this is shocking....The bell is ringing, hope the powers that be are listening,” Gambhir tweeted.

India may have won today at Eden but I am sorry @bcci, CoA &CAB lost. Looks like the No Tolerance Policy against Corrupt takes a leave on Sundays! I know he was allowed to contest HCA polls but then this is shocking....The bell is ringing, hope the powers that be are listening. pic.twitter.com/0HKbp2Bs9r

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) November 4, 2018

One of the longest-serving Indian captains with the distinction of leading India in three successive World Cups (1992, 1996, 1999), Azharuddin was banned for life by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal that was unearthed in 2000. 

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Then South African captain the Late Hansie Cronje had broken down and pleaded guilty to committing match fixing by uniting with the bookies. He even said that Azhar was the one who introduced those bookies to him.

In January, 2017, Azharuddin was disqualified from contesting elections for the post of president of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) after his nomination papers were not accepted by the officers because there was no clarity on Azharuddin’s ban.