NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Lewis called to explain match-fixing claims

Former England Test player Chris Lewis was Monday summoned to appear before the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday to answer questions about his claims that three England Test players took cash for fixing matches.

The all-rounder, who plays for Leicestershire, is being pressurised to name the trio, after claiming he was told who had taken money by Indian businessman Aushim Kheterpal.

The International Cricket Council announced earlier on Monday that an emergency meeting will be held at Lord's next month to discuss the whole match-fixing problem.

An inquiry at Britain's police headquarters at Scotland Yard into allegations made by Lewis and New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming is continuing after the pair claimed they were offered cash to fix the outcome of an international between the two countries last summer.

"This is an extremely serious issue and therefore we shall be meeting with Chris Lewis tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss his comments in detail," said the ECB's Simon Pack.

Meanwhile, former England cricket legend Ian Botham challenged Lewis to name names in the England bungs storm - or get out of the game for good.

Botham believes the Leicestershire all-rounder will become an outcast unless he substantiates his story.

Lewis told the News of the World three "famous" England players had taken money to influence the results of matches, but refused to reveal their identities both to the newspaper and when questioned since.

Botham has little time for Lewis' claims, saying: "Either he is going to have to name names or he should shut up and get out of the game, for everyone's sake.

"If he can really identify three England cricketers who have taken backhanders, he must be ordered to spill the beans.

"Then he should be asked to explain why the first people he told were not the authorities at Lord's but a newspaper - which obviously paid him for the story.

"If he can't, or won't, reveal any names, he is tarring every player picked by England in the last few years with the same brush.

"That's a terrible thing to do to your fellow professionals and I don't know how he can live with himself," Botham told The Mirror.

Lewis will be asked to break his vow of silence when he appears before ECB International Teams Director Simon Pack and Gerard Elias QC, chairman of the disciplinary committee.

Botham continued: "I'm not sure where Lewis stands in the game now. I don't know who would want to take the field with him or who would want to get changed in the same dressing-room as him.

"Where's he going to fit in? He's made himself a bit of an outcast and, if I was one of the England boys who has played over the past few years, I would want some answers from him.

"I have to question his motives for making such damaging statements. As far as I know, no England player has ever accepted a single penny in bribes, bungs or whatever you want to call them.

"So how come Chris Lewis seems to know three of them and nobody else does, including the ECB?

"It's a disgrace - and he should not be allowed to keep his counsel and leave the rest of us wondering which three players he could be implicating.

"Lewis has always been telling us he's been the victim of hostile media coverage - well here's his chance to earn a few Brownie points simply by divulging three names to the ECB."

Darren Gough and Angus Fraser are two England players who have revealed their surprise at Lewis' claims.

And Botham believes the only way Lewis can avoid becoming an outcast is by coming clean and revealing the names of his suspects.

He added: "If he's making it up, or can't back up his allegations with any substance, I can't think of too many England players who would give him house room for this.

"The past week has been bad enough for Test cricket's image overseas without England's reputation for honesty and integrity being dragged into the equation unfairly.

"Lewis has brought English cricket into disrepute unless he can produce any proof that his story isn't money for old rope.

"And if he would prefer people to see him in a different light, the solution could not be simpler 'come clean and name names."