New Delhi, May 23: At least one Indian found the cricket World Cup hectic enough to need cocaine to unwind.

Maninder Singh, arrested yesterday on the charge of possessing the drug, apparently felt drained after the Cup commentary assignment and fell prey to the forbidden substance, Delhi police quoted the former cricketer as telling investigators.

He was freed on bail today but not before the alleged disclosure injected some memorable element to the otherwise forgettable World Cup for Indians.

The narcotics cell of Delhi police had arrested the 41-year-old former India spinner from near his house in east Delhi’s Defence Enclave when he was about to leave for Mumbai on vacation. Maninder was caught taking 1.5 grams of cocaine from friend Saim Siddiqui, a cricket coach at the National Sports Club.

Noting that the quantity of cocaine found on Maninder was “very small”, a sessions court ordered the left-arm spinner’s release on the condition that he would not tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. Maninder, however, had to spend some time in Tihar jail as he could not immediately furnish the Rs 50,000 bail bond.

The police said the cricketer-turned commentator was a habitual drug user and had cited disturbed family life as a reason. But Maninder denied it. “Nothing was recovered from me and I strongly deny that I am addicted to drugs,” a PTI report quoted him as telling judge H.T. Malik.

Maninder’s counsel S.K Ahluwalia, too, claimed that the cricketer was not addicted to cocaine.

Saim, who allegedly used to procure drugs for the cricketer, has been remanded in two days’ police custody.

Investigating officer Kharag Singh said the cocaine was recovered from a glove in Maninder’s possession. Saim was also carrying 100 grams of charas in his pocket and has been booked for trafficking.

The left-arm spinner’s arrest yesterday created a stir in Delhi’s cricket circles. His teammates Kirti Azad and Vivek Razdan and coach Gursharan Singh were present in the packed courtroom when Maninder was produced.

“I cannot believe that Maninder takes drugs. I am surprised that cocaine was found on him. I am happy that he has been granted bail,” Azad said.

Maninder was charged under Section 21 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psycotropic Substances Act, which carries a six-month punishment or a fine of Rs 10,000. The court can suspend the sentence by sending him to a rehabilitation centre, officials said.

There was no evidence to prove that the cricketer had consumed the drug at the time of his arrest. Possessing cocaine up to 2 grams is a bailable offence, but if the quantity is 10 grams or more, it amounts to trafficking, a non-bailable offence.

On the basis of preliminary information provided by Saim, the police have picked up Naved, a drug peddler in Mumbai. Saim is learnt to have given two more names to whom he had supplied drugs. But the police have not confirmed this.

Saim was Maninder’s Man Friday and the cricketer trusted him with everything — from handling bank accounts to managing financial matters. Before becoming a coach, Saim played league cricket, which was when he came to know Maninder.

After completing his World Cup assignment, Maninder had stayed in London for some weeks before returning to Delhi.

In Mumbai, he was to stay at the Cricket Club of India in Wankhede stadium. Maninder told the police that he had consumed coke at a farmhouse en route to Gurgaon.

Sources close to Maninder’s family said he had been on the verge of separation from his wife. But his life was settling back to normal.