Don't ban players for fixing unless absolutely sure of guilt: Ajay Jadeja

Over a decade ago, Ajay Jadeja was handed a five-year ban for match-fixing by the BCCI. However, he was able to overturn that ban in the courts and played domestic cricket for Jammu & Kashmir and the Rajasthan Cricket Association President’s XI. Until today, the last time he played a competitive match was 2007. But at the age of 42, it seems Jadeja’s desire to play has not dimmed. He turned out for Haryana in the Buchi Babu Trophy, making 37 as his side beat Hyderabad by 62 runs. [caption id=“attachment_1041361” align=“aligncenter” width=“380”]  File photo of Ajay Jadeja. Getty Images[/caption] He also had a few things to say about fixing and the Indian team, according to the New Indian Express. For one, he wants the BCCI to be absolutely sure about the evidence against a player before they ban from the sport. “Rahul [Dravid] has said only ‘if’ proven guilty, punishment should be given,” Jadeja told the paper. “According to me, any punishment would suffice, but only ‘if’ guilty.” He did not want to discuss the past though, saying only that he never thought about suing the board because litigation in India takes too long. Jadeja did have plenty of praise for MS Dhoni and the Indian team though, especially for Shikhar Dhawan, who has been on fire since making his Test debut against Australia earlier this year, and Ravindra Jadeja. But it was Dhoni for whom Jadeja had the most admiration, saying the captain was not give due credit for his cricketing brain. “People who doubt his cricketing acumen are jealous of his success,” Jadeja said. “By instinct alone you cannot win so many tournaments. People who are jealous of his success keep talking like that.” Read the full New Indian Express story here.