India miss triangular series

Kapil Dev (centre): Fighting to clear his name

India has withdrawn from the Singapore Challenge one-day tournament in August because of the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry into match fixing.

Pakistan will replace India in the Singapore event, which also features South Africa and New Zealand.

National coach Kapil Dev believes India should not play any international matches until the investigation is complete.

The Board decided, however, that the team should play in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, which finished last week, and secretary secretary Jayawant Lele said the team would also travel to Toronto, Canada in September for the Sahara Cup series against Pakistan, providing the government gives the go ahead.

Kapil Dev will be a leading witness in the CBI inquiry following allegations that he offered teammate Manoj Prabhakar a bribe to play badly in a one-day game against Pakistan in Sri Lanka in 1994.

Prabhakar: The accuser

He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and broke down in tears last month during a BBC interview.

The former all-rounder said: "I have not taken money. I have not offered any money to anybody. I put my heart, soul and tears, my everything into the game and this is what I get."

Kapil has initiated legal action against former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India Inderjit Singh Bindra for naming him in the ongoing match-fixing inquiry.

Current players including Mohammed Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja are also due to give evidence.

The Indian team has a busy schedule ahead with the Sharjah Cup and a one-day tournament in Kenya to follow the trip to Canada.

They will then play a home three-Test series against Zimbabwe in November and December, followed by a month-long tour of Pakistan.

Australia will tour India next February and March.