Former England captain Alec Stewart has categorically denied allegations which claim he took money from an Indian bookmaker in exchange for insider information on cricket matches. Stewart was named in a report into match-fixing carried out by India's Central Bureau of Investigation. According to the claims contained within the document, Stewart was paid in the region of £5,000 for information on pitch, weather conditions and team composition by the bookmaker Mukesh Kumar Gupta after they had been introduced by Indian all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar back in 1993.
The Chief Executive of the English Cricket Board, Tim Lamb, has also released a statement, saying that the ECB have spoken to Stewart about the matter and that he has fully cooperated with them, claiming to have never received such money from anyone and also claiming to have never knowingly met Mr Gupta.
The ECB have asked that the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Condon, currently the head of the ICC's anti-corruption unit to carry out an investigation into the claims. For now, Stewart will not be suspended from playing cricket for England and is to remain with the team who are currently in Pakistan.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
