Worcestershire's Mark Newton is happy that the counties got their money

Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton says the England & Wales Cricket Board should not be held accountable for their part in the Stanford affair.

Newton was in the West Indies when news broke of Sir Allen Stanford's financial problems but now says he feels that the ECB acted in the game's best interests.

"I do defend the ECB on this one," Newton told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"Due diligence did take place. There have been calls for resignations. But we recovered all our money."

Newton added: "I was asked when I was in the West Indies who should resign.

"But each county got £50,000 which was much needed, all paid up front and no-one is owed anything in this country.

"As long as you get paid and you are not left owing money as a result of it.

"The players and ourselves will miss the money going forward but you have to live with that.

"It's being left with bad debts which leaves a bad feeling and we don't have that."

Newton also told BBC Hereford and Worcester that he thought the Indian Premier League would still go ahead.

"I don't know which players will go," he said, "but put yourself in the shoes of those players.

"It's a lot of money and, in the end, you make a personal decision.

Giles Clarke has come under considerable fire as ECB chairman

"Do you want to risk possible security breaches, knowing security will be strong, for the sake of three or four weeks' work and a lot of money?

"What interests me is, if it does not go ahead as scheduled, when will it go ahead?

"There is no other window to stage it which means if they did want to stage it they would have to break into the international calendar.

"And that would lead to even more confrontation in world cricket, so I think it has to go ahead on schedule if at all."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version