Clarke comments anger Hampshire officials

David Robinson, the chairman of Hampshire Cricket Members Committee, has slammed accusations made by Giles Clarke that Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire's chairman, is only in cricket to make money.

Bransgrove has been an outspoken critic of Clarke, the chairman of the ECB, and called for him to stand down in the aftermath of the Stanford scandal. But Clarke briefed several journalists in Barbados on Tuesday, and Bransgrove was very much in his sights.

Asked in the Daily Mail about criticism from Bransgrove, Clarke replied that he "is a proprietor and is seeking to make money out of cricket. He's in a different position to those of us who are manifestly not in it for the money.

"I am certainly not going to give in to basically two men with megaphones. Messrs Davidson [the Leicestershire chairman] and Bransgrove have just lost an election. I see both of them as flawed individuals."

"It will be clear to anybody associated with Hampshire that this could not be further from reality," Robinson said. "There is little doubt that Hampshire would not be in existence today without the selfless intervention of Rod in 2000 when the club was on the brink of financial disaster.

"For Clarke to suggest that this is purely for Rod's own financial benefit, is disgraceful and will not be recognised by anyone associated with Hampshire cricket. We refute, absolutely, the unfortunate and unfounded comments."