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• Jacob Martin made his international debut in 1999 against the West Indies

• The 2001 match against Kenya was the last of his career

• Acquitted after 22 years of trial

Jacob Martin: Former played 10 ODIs for India between 1999 and 2001 cricketer Jacob Martin has been acquitted after 22 years in a criminal case. The 54-year-old batsman from Vadodara was acquitted of all charges by the Patiala House Court. The case arose out of an FIR filed in 2004.

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Type of fraud and scam

Allegations against Jacob relating to manipulation of UK immigration stamps, travel arrangements and financial transactions could not be proven. The former right-handed batsman was charged under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Section 12 of the Passport Act. The court found that there was no concrete evidence of financial dealings or his ownership or control over Ajwa Sports Club. Even many witnesses could not corroborate these allegations.

Jacob explained

Speaking to the media about the case, which was closed after 22 years, Jacob Martin made a famous statement International Explaining how he had to face the consequences of being a cricketer, 'In 2004, the team I was a part of toured the UK. Everyone returned, but one player stayed behind. His visa was valid for six months, so he could have stayed that long. However, he overstayed his visa and returned to India with a fake immigration stamp. He was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

During the subsequent investigation, my name was not even mentioned in the initial FIR, but I was implicated in the investigation, probably because I was a famous international cricketer. After the closure of the case and for the intervening 22 years, I could not get a job in the BCCI and also lost my job in the Railways, which caused me great stress. Recently, I have been acquitted in that case. This has turned my life around. This result after 22 years is a big turning point for me.'

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Played 10 ODIs for India

Having scored over 12,000 runs in 138 first-class and 101 List A matches, Jacob Martin made his international debut in 1999 against the West Indies. The 2001 match against Kenya was the last of his career. He scored 158 runs in eight innings from 10 ODIs for India, with 39 being his best score.