ACB delivers ultimatum
to Mark Waugh

Julian Linden

Australian Test batsman Mark Waugh will be dropped unless he agrees to take part in a worldwide investigation into corruption in cricket.

Australian Cricket Board chief executive Mal Speed said on Wednesday that Waugh, brother of Australia's captain Steve, had been given 24 hours to change his mind or face automatic suspension.

"It's disappointing that we got to that stage but we weren't able to resolve it any other way," Speed said.

"We have a duty to the public to ensure the matter is being dealt with effectively."

The International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit, which is due to visit Australia next month, wants to speak to Waugh following allegations he took money from an Indian bookmaker in exchange for information on the team during a six-a-side tournament in Hong Kong in 1992 or 1993.

Waugh was among nine non-Indian players, including former Test captains Brian Lara, Alec Stewart and Martin Crowe, named in an Indian Central Bureau of Investigation report into match-fixing last November as having connections with bookmakers.

Waugh and teammate Shane Warne were fined in 1995 after admitting they had accepted money from a bookmaker in 1994 in exchange for information on pitch and weather conditions.

But Waugh has strongly denied these latest charges and had previously said he wanted to co-operate with the investigation to clear his name.

But the 35-year-old announced earlier this week that he had changed his mind after discussing the case with his lawyers and would not face the investigators, leading to widespread calls for his immediate dismissal.

The ACB, which has pledged to do everything it can to stamp out corruption in the game, held an emergency meeting after Waugh's about-turn before deciding to issue him with their ultimatum.

"I have written to Mark on behalf of the directors, asking him to reconsider his position," Speed said.

"The board implores Mark Waugh to change his view and submit to the interview process."

The letter, which was released to media, included specific details of exactly what the corruption-unit wanted to speak to Waugh about.

These were:

- The number of occasions Waugh met a bookmaker (or bookmakers) and received money for the provision of information about cricket.

- The total amount of money he has received from any parties (other than bona fide media) for the provision of information about cricket.

- The identification of the bookmaker or bookmakers with whom he had dealings with respect to the provision of information about cricket and a description of those dealings.

- The identification of current or former international cricket players with whom he had dealings in relation to his contact with a bookmaker or bookmakers and a description of those dealings.

- Clarification of his recollections of any meeting with a bookmaker in Hong Hong in 1992 or 1993 in light of the CBI Report and his response to the references to him in it.

Waugh had flown to Adelaide with the Australian team ahead of Friday's one-day match against West Indies when he was told of the ACB's decision.

He refused to comment on the matter and did not attend the team's afternoon training session.

"Mark did not appear to be unduly surprised by it. I think the best I could say is that he took it on the chin," Speed said.

Mail Cricket Editor