| ECB confident over series despite new ICC investigation into Pakistan • ECB says final two matches will go ahead despite new claims• Bookmakers alleged to know details of Pakistan's inningsThe England and Wales Cricket Board does not believe the International Cricket Council's investigation into yesterday's third one-day international against Pakistan places the remainder of the series in jeopardy.The ICC today confirmed it has launched an investigation into the match at The Oval amid claims in the Sun that overseas bookmakers knew details of the Pakistan innings before the match had begun.The ICC's chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, said the match, which Pakistan won by 23 runs, featured "a certain scoring pattern" that warranted investigation. News of this investigation is a further blow for the sport following allegations of spot-fixing by Pakistan players during the Test series.However the ECB said there is no prospect of the allegations threatening the one-day series, which England lead 2-1 after yesterday's defeat and that no England players or members of the management team are involved in the allegations.An ECB spokesman said: "[The matter] is in the hands of the ICC as it stands. We see the final two matches going ahead at this stage. The ECB has received confirmation that no England players nor member of management are involved in any allegation linked with ACSU [Anti-Corruption and Security Unit] activities."The chairman of the ECB has written to the president of the ICC seeking assurances that the ICC does not have evidence which could result in either charges or suspension of players prior to the conclusion of the Series."No substantive evidence has been shared with the ECB or the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board] at this stage. The ECB noted the ICC is not stating as fact that anything untoward has occurred nor has yet been proven in relation to the third ODI between England and Pakistan."The ECB reiterated its policy of zero tolerance and strongly supported a full investigation into such allegations. Until the ICC substantiates that any allegations are correct no further action can be taken."The Sun said it alerted ICC inspectors to the possibility of manipulation before yesterday's match, and that representatives of the governing body watched "as Pakistan's score mirrored the target that bookies had been told in advance by a fixer". The newspaper claimed that the ICC's investigation would focus "on two suspect overs".The ICC announced the inquiry this morning. "Following information received by the ICC from a British newspaper and its source, the ICC now believes a full investigation is warranted," it said.Lorgat added: "A source informed the Sun that a certain scoring pattern would emerge during certain stages of the match and, broadly speaking, that information appeared to be correct. We therefore feel it is incumbent upon us to launch a full inquiry into this particular game although it is worth pointing out at this stage that we are not stating as fact that anything untoward has occurred. Only in the fullness of the investigation can that be established."We thank the Sun for its information and co-operation in this regard, and we will work with its staff and sources to ensure the full truth surrounding this match is ascertained. The ICC maintains a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in cricket and, as a matter of course, follows up on all credible information that is received, whatever the source. Any player or official found guilty of an offence will face the full rigour of our robust anti-corruption code so that we can ensure the integrity of the sport is maintained."The Pakistan team has been under the spotlight this summer amid allegations of spot-fixing against members of the touring party. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been questioned by police over an alleged plan to bowl no-balls during last month's Test series. A fourth player – Wahab Riaz – was interviewed by the authorities on Tuesday. All deny any wrongdoing.Pakistan cricket betting scandalEngland v Pakistan 2010Pakistan cricket teamEngland cricket teamCricketguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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Sport suffers as spending cut by a third • Sport England facing 30% cut - UK Sport 27% reduction • Cuts risk creating 'lost generation' says shadow secretaryAthletes training for the 2012 Olympics will have their funding protected and the Games themselves have been largely insulated but there will be deep cuts of up to 30% in other grassroots sporting bodies.Sports clubs up and down the country that had been hoping to invest in refurbishing changing rooms or building new artificial pitches will be among the losers. Any large capital projects not already approved look likely to be scrapped.As expected, given its totemic importance to the coalition and the fact most of the money has already been spent, the £9.3bn Olympics budget has been left largely untouched apart from a further £20m of savings, £7m of which could be found by scrapping a canvas wrap that was due to surround the stadium."As a country, we are paying out in debt interest payments every day the entire UK Sport exchequer payments for a year," Hugh Robertson, the sports and Olympics minister, said. "With the deck of cards we inherited, we have got sport out of this in the best possible fashion."But the shadow culture secretary, Ivan Lewis, said: "Dismantling support for school sport and imposing disproportionate cuts on arts organisations risks creating a lost generation of young people." He said the coalition were "playing fast and loose with Britain's economic and sporting future".Several other organisations funded by Sport England, including the Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation and Sports Coach UK, also face the prospect of the axe or, at best, budget cuts of 30%.While revenue funding to the 46 governing bodies funded by Sport England will be protected until the end of their current settlement in 2013, and reduced by 15% thereafter, the capital investment fund is facing immediate cuts of 40%.Sport England, which distributes lottery and exchequer funding to grassroots sport via governing bodies such as the England and Wales Cricket Board, will face a cut in exchequer funding of a third. UK Sport, responsible for distributing money to elite athletes in Olympic sports, will have its funding drop by 27%.But in both cases, a change in the formula for lottery distribution – restoring sport's share to 20% by 2012-13 – will largely mitigate the impact by the end of the spending cycle in 2014-15. By then, Sport England's budget will actually have increased to £284m a year, the majority coming from the lottery.But it is likely that it will also have to take on responsibility for driving the promised sports participation legacy from the 2012 Olympics in the face of deep cuts to the school sports budget of £160m a year and a huge reduction in expenditure on sports facilities by local authorities facing compound cuts of 7% a year.Baroness Sue Campbell, chair of the Youth Sports Trust and UK Sport, said: "This is devastating news for the future health and wellbeing of our young people and the army of dedicated, passionate and committed people throughout the country who, through sport, have delivered such change for young people in recent years."Robertson refused to say whether the government will drop promises to get two million more people doing more sport and exercise by 2012.The huge reduction for school sport and local authorities will mean Sport England taking on responsibility for investing in infrastructure projects and, increasingly, governing bodies taking over responsibility for community sports facilities from local authorities and independent clubs.UK Sport will face a drop in funding after the 2012 Games, despite the boost from the lottery, but its overall funding will have returned to 2010-11 levels by 2013-14, according to DCMS figures.The intervening year, before the change to the lottery funding kicks in, will prove challenging.The recently appointed UK Sport chief executive, Liz Nicholl, called the settlement "a positive outcome in difficult times".UK Sport and Sport England are being asked to cut their administrative overheads, which total £17m a year, in half. Much of that is likely to be achieved when they merge after the 2012 Olympic Games, when they are expected to be encouraged to move from their central London offices to a new home on the Olympic Park.Spending review 2010Olympic games 2012Tax and spendingOwen Gibsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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