Padma awards to cricketers only after probe gets over: Aditya Verma

NEW DELHI: Cricket Association of Bihar secretary and the most prominent face of anti N Srinivasan group, Aditya Verma feels that the government should not reward any Indian cricketer with Padma awards till the Supreme Court appointed panel led Mukul Mudgal completes its probe.

According to BCCI sources, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli's names have been referred for the Padma Bhusan and Padmashri award respectively. Women's team skipper Mithali Raj has also been nominated for Padmashri.

"I appeal to the government of India that it should think seriously about not considering BCCI proposal for these prestigious national (Padma) awards till the time the Supreme Court appointed Mukul Mudgal Committee probe is going on into the match-fixing and betting controversy of the IPL 2013," Verma stated in a press release.

"The Mudgal committee is investigating 13 persons whose names the same committee had given to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope along with its first probe report in February earlier this year," Verma also added in his release requesting that till the Supreme Court gives its final verdict, government should wait before awarding the cricketers.