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Shami cleared of corruption charges

Paceman gets BCCI's Grade B contract after a clean chit
Last Updated 22 March 2018, 16:18 IST

Embattled pacer Mohammed Shami heaved a sigh of relief after he earned back his annual central contract following his clearance by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the corruption charges on Thursday.

Shami has been given a Grade 'B' contract which pays him Rs 3 crore per year. With this, he will also be eligible to play in the Indian Premier League for the Delhi Daredevils, starting April 7.

The BCCI had decided to withhold Shami's contract after his wife Hasin Jahan made a series of allegations, including adultery and domestic violence before lodging a complaint against him with the Kolkata police.

A hurt but "relieved" Shami said that he was always confident about proving his innocence in the wake of corruption allegations levelled against him by his wife Hasin Jahan.

"I was under tremendous pressure but now I feel relieved after BCCI cleared me of wrong-doing. I was hurt that my loyalty and commitment towards my nation was questioned. But I had full faith in BCCI's investigation process. I am looking forward to getting back on the field," Shami told mediapersons on Thursday.

Following specific allegations that Shami accepted money from the London-based Mohammed Bhai through a Pakistani women Alishba whom the paceman met in Dubai, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) had asked its ACU chief Neeraj Kumar to investigate the matter.

"The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had requested Mr Neeraj Kumar, former Police Commissioner of Delhi and Head of BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit, to investigate the allegations against Mohd. Shami insofar as they pertain to the provisions of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Code," CoA stated in a media release on Thursday.

"Mr Neeraj Kumar has submitted his confidential report to the CoA. Based on the conclusions in the said report, the CoA is of the view that no further actions/ proceedings under the BCCI anti-corruption code are warranted in the matter.

"For this reason, the BCCI shall proceed with offering a Grade B' annual retainership contract to Mohd. Shami," the release further stated.

Shami said that the past two weeks were extremely tough for him.

"I had to go through a lot in the past 10-15 days. The charge of match fixing specifically brought me under tremendous pressure. I will channel my anger in a positive way on the cricket field. This decision has given me courage and motivation to perform on the field. I will make my bowling do all the talking now in the coming days. This is a big win for me and I am hopeful that in the coming days I will also be cleared of the remaining charges," Shami later told a TV channel.

Shami however admitted that the manner of insinuation had scared him till the BCCI investigations got over.

"I knew from within that I had done nothing wrong but was still scared that I might get framed. I can't thank BCCI enough," he said.

The BCCI did maintain that it would not sit in judgement about Shami's personal life and that the charges of adultery and domestic violence are being investigated by the Kolkata Police and that is out of the Board's purview.

"We are only concerned with what the Anti Corruption Unit is investigating, not his (Shami's) personal life," Rajiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, had said on Wednesday.

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(Published 22 March 2018, 16:18 IST)

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