Calcutta, Nov. 29 :    Calcutta, Nov. 29:  A life ban awaits former captain Mohammed Azharuddin, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma for match-fixing and/or links with bookies. According to The Telegraph's sources, Ajay Jadeja is 'certain' to be punished for one year, while a three-year ban is a possibility. However, even three years won't exactly satisfy the many hawks within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Only, the BCCI is under 'severe pressure,' both from outside and within, to be lenient on Jadeja. Nayan Mongia, the only other player under a cloud, may be let off with a reprimand (or, at most, a one-year ban) by the BCCI's disciplinary committee, thanks to the clean-chit from commissioner K. Madhavan. Corroborating the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s findings, Madhavan held Azhar guilty on all counts (match-fixing, links with bookies and conduct unbecoming of an India player), while he nailed the rest (except Mongia) for ties with bookies. Sharma, of course, was also booked for fixing matches in which he himself didn't figure. Such stringent punishment is on the anvil despite the (shockingly) soft stand of former Union minister Kamal Morarka, one of the three disciplinary committee members. A formal announcement will be made Monday by BCCI president A.C.Muthiah, who heads the disciplinary committee. By then, the opinion of some more legal luminaries will be obtained. Equally, the BCCI will be exposing itself to more pressure. But for Morarka and the pressure being put by other quarters, the decision may have been announced today itself after the special general body meeting. Though a discussion on match-fixing wasn't formally listed, the affiliates felt it should still be discussed and a decision taken 'within a week'. While no show of hands was actually recorded, sources revealed an overwhelming 28 of the 30 affiliates favoured imposing the maximum penalty (life ban) on players blacklisted both by the CBI and Madhavan. Favouring a soft-line, reportedly, were the Hyderabad Cricket Association - Azhar's parent body -- and the Cricket Club of India, headed by former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur. Raj Singh, who acknowledged he hadn't severed contact with Azhar, Jadeja (a distant relative) and Mongia - 'I'm not a fair-weather friend' - is clearly being guided by emotions not facts. In any case, Raj Singh believes till the guilt is established, consideration must be given to the 'contribution' of those in the dock. Perhaps, it's Raj Singh's argument which prompted Muthiah to tell the media that 'around 30 per cent weightage' may be given to the 'achievements' of the Azhars and Jadejas. An absurd position but, then, some allowance has to be made for Muthiah as he is being buffeted from multiple sides. Significantly, while the minimum punishment for match-fixing/contact with bookies, as spelt out in the Code of Conduct, is five years, an exception will be made for Jadeja. Strictly speaking, the disciplinary committee is to follow the Code of Conduct but, apparently, the special general body left it to the committee to decide on the punishment. The affected players may challenge the decision, arguing the Code of Conduct has come into being only as recently as October 1, but that won't cut ice as all players are automatically covered by article 11 of the BCCI's Rules and Regulations. The article reads: 'The Board shall have the power to call into question the conduct of any player within its jurisdiction and may take such disciplinary action as it deems fit. The Board's decision shall be final.' The life ban, though, will only really affect Azhar, not Prabhakar or Sharma. Prabhakar quit in early 1996 while Sharma's last India appearance was in late 1993. While it obviously doesn't make sense to ban (or, for that matter, hand out any punishment) to Prabhakar, sources pointed out it will have to be done 'for technical reasons.' Meanwhile, it is gathered, around half-a-dozen affiliates were 'disappointed' Madhavan didn't question either former national coach Kapil Dev (cleared by the CBI) or ex-cricket manager Ajit Wadekar. Madhavan, invited to the special meeting, explained his brief was to only focus on the five players (and former physio Ali Irani) indicted by the CBI.