`Scotland Yard inspectors, ICC inquiry … I am ready to face them’

Describing allegations as “ridiculous and an attempt to defame” him, Khetarpal said he was ready to face inspectors from Scotland Yard or any inquiry by the International Cricket Council (ICC) or its match-fixing committee headed by Lord Griffiths.

“I have been accused of offering £300,000 each to Lewis and New Zealand captain Stephan Fleming. If I had that kind of money, I will be sponsoring a big event, not trying to fix a match. It is a fact I met and spoke to both, but it wasstrictly for a benefit tie for Punjab Cricket Association secretary MP Pandove,”he told a press meet here.

“It is a fact that I met Lewis in England, on July 29 or 30, but only to arrange a suitable replacement for Sri Lanka for the exhibition tie against an Indian XI for the match as I have the rights to promote and market the event,” he said.

Khetarpal claimed he had offered £70,000 to £90,000 to English players for the match but there was no offer for match fixing. “I have never done such a thing in my sports promoting career so far, so why should I do it now?”Khetarpal said news agent Kamlesh Patel in whose shop he is alleged to have offered the deal was only an “acquaintance,” he said he spoke to Lewis only for five minutes with Patel, his brother and wife and another friend.

Khetarpal alleged Lewis took money from the News of the World for his interview but when asked why should he be named he said, “I don’t know whether someone else spoke to him.”

He said Lewis had assured eightNational players would come for the benefit match, but only at a later date. “In fact, he called me the next day to tell me this,” he said.

Khetarpal said he also met Fleming on the same issue and the Kiwi skipper had promised to talk to his Board before responding.

Khetarpal admitted to have given Stephen Fleming his business card but added, “why I would have left my card with him if I had shady business of match fixing in mind.”

He said he had also spoken to West Indies captain Brian Lara, but strictly in his “role as sports promoter”.

On press reports that Pakistan Cricket Board wanted a Delhi-based bookie to be kept out during the coming triangular One-day series in Sharjah, Khetarpal said, “I have neither been to Sharjah nor have I met PCB chief Mujeebur Rehman.”

His lawyer Anis Suhrawardi said the whole story appeared to have been cooked up and was an attempt to defame Khetarpal.

“I have been a sports promoter for 10 years, especially arranging billiards and snooker matches. Bettingis legal and is widely prevalent in countries like England. But no player can say I ever spoke to them on these things,” Khetarpal added.

Khetarpal also distributed copies of the rights given to him by Punjab Cricket Association for the match as well as the original deal with ESPN to telecast the match.