The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has spoken to Alec Stewart about allegations made by an Indian bookmaker, Mukesh Gupta, in a report published today by the Indian Government on ‘Match Fixing and Related Malpractices’.

Alec Stewart has fully cooperated with the ECB over this matter, and has categorically denied to Lord MacLaurin, Chairman of the ECB, and Tim Lamb, Chief Executive, that he has ever taken money from Mr Gupta or anyone else, for providing information related to a cricket match. In fact, he denies ever knowingly having met Mr Gupta.

The ECB has also proposed that Sir Paul Condon, Head of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, be asked, on behalf of all the Cricket Boards who have had players named in the Indian Government report, to investigate these claims further, and to see if there is any evidence to corroborate any of them.

In that event, the ECB will fully co-operate with Sir Paul Condon’s investigations and will await further developments. In the meantime, Alec Stewart will not be suspended from playing cricket for England and will remain with the team in Pakistan.

For further information please contact:

John Read, Director of Corporate Affairs, ECB on 0207-432-1244 or Andrew Walpole, Media Relations Manager, ECB, with the England team in Pakistan.