Buchanan urges swift
end to fixing claims

Australian team coach John Buchanan Thursday urged cricket authorities to resolve match-fixing inquiries quickly and discreetly out of fairness to implicated players like Mark Waugh and Brian Lara.

Buchanan, preparing to guide Australia through a five-Test series against the West Indies, said he wanted cricket life to return to normal sooner rather than later.

While Waugh -- like Lara earlier this week -- rose above the drama surrounding him by scoring 152 for New South Wales Thursday, Buchanan said the on-going speculation and finger-pointing were not easy for the premier middle order batsman.

"Myself and a lot of other people have talked with Mark, but it almost doesn't matter how many words you say it's still the individual who has to wake every morning faced with more conjecture," Buchanan said.

"There needs to be some evidence shown otherwise for me, the players and the ACB life should go on as normal.

"All the inquiries around the world need to come to some sort of finality -- it doesn't mean that they stop investigating but just that they do it in a less public way."

Waugh and Lara were both named in the Indian police match-fixing report.

Waugh allegedly took 20,000 US dollars from a bookmaker for team information while Lara has been accused of taking money to under-perform in one-day matches.

Both have denied the claims and Buchanan said he trusted the Australian veteran.

"From our point of view, Mark's done everything he possibly can and I believe he's totally innocent until proven otherwise," he said.

"Everybody should adopt that attitude at this stage and he should be allowed to go on and play his cricket the best way he possibly can."

Mail Cricket Editor