British detectives for India
The reputation of English cricket was on the line on Thursday after allegations of corruption against former England cricket captain Alec Stewart.
British detectives are due to fly to India this week to investigate allegations that Stewart was paid 5,000 pounds (7,200 dollars) to provide information on matches to an Indian bookmaker, according to media reports.
However, Stewart has not been suspended by English cricket authorities or sent home from Pakistan, where he is on tour with the national team.
But The Times reported Thursday that the reputation of English cricket is now at stake.
According to the newspaper, the England and Wales Cricket Board has accepted Stewart's denial that he received any money for providing information to the bookmaker Mukesh Kumar Gupta during England's 1993 tour to India and Sri Lanka.
The Times disclosed Gupta's allegations Wednesday.
Stewart, 37, who has played 102 Tests and 137 one-day internationals, has refused to comment publicly on the allegations.
Meanwhile, England colleague Graham Thorpe offered Stewart his support and said he was sure he would shrug off the controversy to make a major contribution to the England tour.
"The news that Alec Stewart has been mentioned in the Indian match-fixing report came as a great shock to myself and the rest of the guys, but I'm confident he will come through this difficult time," Thorpe wrote in his column for Channel 4 Television's website.
"It's a strange feeling that someone in our team has had the finger pointed at them in this way, and no matter how strong a player is, whenever he is accused of something like this it's always going to be at the back of his mind.
"When you have played with a guy and batted with him for years you get to know him pretty well and I'm convinced Alec is innocent.
"Unfortunately once anyone's name is linked with something like this, people around the world and back home are going to start jumping to the wrong conclusions.
"Having said all that, if there is one person in the game who can tough this thing out then it's Alec Stewart. Time and time again I have seen him make comebacks on the cricket field even though he has been written off.
"This time though he faces a different battle and it's how he handles it within himself that will be the telling factor. It will be very difficult for him not to let it affect his cricket, but I'm sure that he is capable of putting it to one side while he is on the playing field."
"Match-fixing has become a fashionable word in cricket over the past 18 months and, unfortunately, anyone who is linked with it, no matter how tenuous that link is, will find that mud always tends to stick," Thorpe reflected.
Mail Cricket Editor
