* CBI begins probe into nexus between bookies and underworld

After having carried out an investigation of the nexus between players and bookmakers last year, the CBI has now initiated a probe into the liaison between bookies and the underworld mafia. The CBI's Special Crime Branch is making steady progress and preliminary inquiries suggest that some bookies were acting at the behest of the underworld to fix matches, agency sources told PTI in New Delhi.

According to the sources, the probe had begun during the tenure of former CBI Director RK Raghavan who held a series of meetings with officials of security and intelligence agencies for information on the activities of the underworld. The Mumbai Police and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apparently stumbled on conversations between players and the underworld back in 1995 but the DRI has written to the CBI to the effect that it was not in possession of any tapes.

The underworld's involvement is borne out by the testimonies of former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and the team's former physiotherapist Ali Irani in which names of mafia dons Anees Ibrahim, Abu Salem and Sharad Shetty found mention. According to the CBI report, submitted on October 31 last year, Azharuddin admitted during his questioning that Abu Salem had called him on a couple of occasions to fix matches but he had refused the overtures. In its report, the CBI had warned that the underworld mafia could be expected to take total control of the betting racket unless it was checked immediately with a stern hand.

* Vece Paes makes foray into cricket therapy

Hockey's loss will in all probability be cricket's gain. The Cricket Association of Bengal is contemplating a decision to employ former Indian hockey Olympian Dr. Vece Paes as the chief physical instructor of the Bengal cricket team. Dr. Paes will also be asked to supervise the physical training of the under-14, under-16 and under-19 squads. It should be mentioned here that when Arun Lal was the coach of the Bengal team, he had asked the CAB to employ Dr. Paes. The CAB, however, had turned down his proposal.

Dr. Paes, who is the father of tennis star Leander Paes, has been associated with various sports persons in West Bengal as a physical trainer. In the past he had also trained a couple of local club cricket teams. He is quite an experienced person as far as physical training is concerned. A move is also afoot to induct Dr. Paes to the National Cricket Academy.

In a recent meeting of the Asian Cricket Council, Chairman, Jagmohan Dalmiya had placed a paper compiled by Dr Paes, on the physical aspects of cricket. A source within the CAB said that representatives of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh were impressed with the suggestions of the doctor and that Dr. Paes may be appointed in some capacity with the Asian Cricket Council.

* Assam Cricket Academy begins session from today

The following players have been selected to the Assam Cricket Academy which will be in session from 17th June 2001 at the Nehru Stadium, Guwahati. The list of selected players is as follows :

Under 19 Years: Khanin Saikia, Himadri Sekhar Das, Chandan Rawat, Diganta Dowrah, Dibankur Kalita, Jibon Jyoti Rajkhowa, Binod Sinha, Mihir Lal Barman, Kunal Roy, Bichitra Baruah, Abhishek Hore, Sudarshan Bhattacharjee, Rabin Das, Pablu Momin, Rajindra Mahato, Amit Basfor, Vishal Jain, Sukumar Barman, Kumarjit Sengupta and Arab Ali.

Under 16 Years: Dinesh Mahanta, Sadek Imran Choudhury, Jyotimoy Saikia, Nekibul Hauque, Sukumar Barman, Dibyajyoti Barman, Ajay Kumar, Subh Kuldip, Baishya Pegu, Utpal Medhi, Prakash Bhagat, Parviz Aziz, Nayan Jyoti Deka, Trishul Mazumdar, Debajit Baruah, Tonmoy Dey, Ibrahim Nawaz and Utpal Hazarika.

Under 14 years: Sarupam Purkayastha, Parvez Yassir Hussain, Githartha Bordoloi, Ibrahim Ali, Ram Kripal Gupta, Jami Kameshwar Rao, Dibyajyoti Dutta, Narandra Bharali, Arijit Sengupta, Misthun Biswas, Sekhar Jyoti Barman, Satish Nimudia, Rinku Ahmed, Minmoy Deb, Partha Jyoti Gogoi.

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