Cricketer Abhijit Kale's main supporter, the Maharashtra Cricket Association, on Tuesday backtracked on its stand saying he has lost its 'trust' by going to court on the bribery issue.
"The MCA will no longer support Kale since he has gone to the court and also made MCA a party," Association chairman Balasahab Thorve said in Pune.
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"But by going to court and making us a party, he has lost our trust and now we will not not support him in this matter," Thorve said.
On Sunday, Thorve had fully backed Kale giving him a clean chit and asking the two selectors -- Kiran More and Pranab Roy along with the player to undergo lie-detector tests.
Meanwhile, a District Civil Court posted Kale's petition challenging his suspension from first-class cricket by the Cricket Board for hearing on November 27.
Kale's lawyer Manoj Wadekar argued that the batsman had been "suspended merely on the basis of allegations and was not even given a show-cause notice".
Kale was present at the District Civil Court, which took into account the request of lawyers representing BCCI and MCA that they needed some time to file their replies.
But after the court hearing, Thorve was singing a different tune. "Since Kale has gone to the court against us he has lost our support and sympathy. Whatever the consequence, he will have to face it himself," he said.
But Kale got fresh support from former Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jaywant Lele who predicted that the batsman would come out clean of the scandal.
"After the inquiry [set up by the BCCI] by the one man commission, [Kiran] More and [Pranab] Roy will no longer be selectors. This is not the first time such a thing has happened and this will not the last either," said Lele from Vadodara.
"Though money has changed hands in Indian cricket, very few incidents have being proved. This bribery issue is totally bogus as I personally thing that someone like Kale cannot afford huge amounts," Lele said.
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