Former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin on Friday lashed out at Vinod Kambli for hinting that India’s 1996 World Cup semi-final match could have been fixed, saying the allegations have been made by a person who lacks character and were “absolutely rubbish”.

“Absolutely rubbish, whatever he (Kambli) is talking. He doesn’t know what he is talking, when you have people who have no character and no background come on TV and talk absolute rubbish in front of the nation and demeaning all the players who played in the team, it is totally disrespectful and its very sad,” a livid Azhar told reporters.

Azhar, who was the Indian captain at that time, said the decision to field first was a collective decision.

“May be when he was sitting in the meeting, he must have been sleeping,” he added.

Kambli, a former Indian cricketer who has often been embroiled in controversies both on and off the field, on Thursday raised suspicion on the 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka and said he found “something amiss” in the game.

“I will never forget the 1996 match because my career ended after this and I was dropped from the team. I was stunned by India’s decision to field,” Kambli had said.

Azhar, however, refuted all the allegations leveled against him saying it was a team decision to field after winning the toss.

“It was a team decision which was taken by all the team members that when we win the toss we will field. Whatever he is talking is absolutely rubbish and nonsense”.

Azhar also refuted the claims that Kambli was made a scapegoat, saying the cricketer got enough chances to prove himself but failed to capitalise on the opportunities.