BCCI stops payment to Azad who remains defiant

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The BCCI may have dropped his name from the list of former cricketers who will get one-time benefit payment but a defiant Kirti Azad on Wednesday said that he will not stop from raising his voice against the Indian Premier League and the Board.

According to sources, the BCCI scratched the name of Azad from the list of beneficiaries for the one-time payment following his fast at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground in protest against the alleged financial irregularities in the IPL.

There is no official word from the BCCI yet on this issue.

Azad said he has not been contacted by the BCCI on whether his name has been removed from the list.

"I have not received any intimation from the BCCI so far. Neither has anyone contacted me," hesaid.

Asked if he would accept the one-time payment if the Board decides to give it to him, Azad said, "The question of acceptance or refusal of the payment arises only when they get in touch me.

"But if they think that they can stop me from raising my voice by doing that, then they are wrong," said Azad, one of the members of the 1983 World Cup winning team and now a Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament.

Azad, who is to get Rs 35 lakh under the BCCI scheme, said he will continue protesting against the IPL and the Board.

"The skeletons of IPL have been coming out in the open and I will continue protesting whenever I see any kind of wrongdoings," he said.