(BBC) England captain Andrew Strauss says the one-day series against Pakistan should continue.
The Test and one-day matches against Pakistan have been blighted by claims of spot-fixing, and Friday’s one-dayer has also fallen under the radar.
“It’s hard to stop a series when we don’t know how credible the evidence is,” said Strauss.
Astonishingly, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said England should be investigated after collapsing to defeat in that match at The Oval.
The International Cricket Council is already looking into Friday’s match, with particular interest raised over “scoring patterns” during the Pakistan innings. The England and Wales Cricket Board has been assured no England player is implicated.
This investigation is in addition to the alleged spot-fixing over no-balls in the Lord’s Test in August, which led to a police investigation and ICC charges against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – who have all now returned to Pakistan.
But Ijaz Butt launched a surprise counter-offensive aimed at English cricket yesterday.
He told India’s NDTV channel: “There is loud and clear talk in bookie circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose the match [at The Oval]. No wonder there was total collapse of the English side.”
In a separate statement, he added: “This is a conspiracy to defraud Pakistan and Pakistan cricket. We feel august cricket bodies are… involved in this conspiracy, which will damage the great game of cricket.
“We have taken it in hand to start our own investigations. We will protest with the ICC for not taking the PCB into confidence on the issue of the spot-fixing scandal. We will take up this matter in the meeting of International Cricket Council on 11 October.”
The England and Wales Cricket Board has declined to comment on his remarks.
The ICC said its chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, had discussed “matters of mutual interest” with Butt on Saturday.
A spokesman said: “I cannot discuss the details of the meeting but I can confirm that at no stage Mr Butt indicated to the ICC chief executive that he’ll take any legal action or write a letter to the ICC.”
England and Pakistan play the fourth, and penultimate, one-day international at Lord’s today, with England 2-1 ahead in the series.
One of those calling for the two matches not to be played is Michael Vaughan. The former England captain said: “It would be the right thing for the game. I know the allegations have yet to be proved but there are so many flying around and it’s damaging the game.”
Strauss said he “totally understood” the viewpoint that the remaining matches should be cancelled but admitted the allegations were no longer affecting his players.
“I think we’ve got used to putting that to one side now,” Strauss added. “I think we’ve got used to focusing on the cricket side of things now.
“If the ICC had hard evidence of what was happening we’d change our views.”
The final match is at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on Wednesday.
Although claims are still hanging over the fourth Test and Friday’s match at The Oval, the ECB decided the matches should continue after viewing details supplied by the ICC.
Strauss does not agree with comments made by England coach Andy Flower that the series had been “devalued”.
Flower expressed over the weekend the current situation had been “very sad for cricket” and “really annoying”.
However, Strauss said: “It’s certainly overshadowed the cricket. But I don’t think that means the cricket has been any less important.
