Prabhakar reiterates his stance

NEW DELHI, MAY 2. Former Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar on Tuesday reiterated that he had revealed the name of the cricketer who had offered him money for fixing an India-Pakistan match during the Singer Cup in 1994 to a Government official.

Prabhakar, however, added that he would only go public with the name after he is provided adequate security. Also, he needed the assurance of the Government that his ``benevolent fund'' would be released by the Cricket Board.

He was talking to reporters at the launch function of ``6th Element'' - skin, hair and body care products - of his cosmetic company, Naturence. Prabhakar added that he wanted to clean up the mess and wanted the Government to respond as early as possible.

Asked how close he was to film actor Kishan Kumar, Prabhakar said he just about knew the actor. Kishan Kumar was the second person to be arrested in the match-fixing scandal which broke out on April 7. In fact, an ``ailing'' Kishan Kumar had told reporters at a press conference held at Kailash Hospital in Noida that he knew Prabhakar quite well. Both frequented the same health club at a South Delhi five-star hotel.

Prabhakar said the fact that both of them went to the same health club did not necessarily mean that they were close friends.

``I did meet Kishan Kumar at the club on a few occasions. I also think that I met him at a party. That does not mean anything,'' Prabhakar said.

Asked about his links with cricketer Ajay Sharma, - whose name has also cropped up in the betting and match-fixing scandal - Prabhakar said he was not much aware about Sharma's personal life. He said both of them had studied and also played for Delhi and India together.

``But what Ajay did in his personal life, I am not aware.''

- Our Staff Reporter.

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Section  : Sport
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