'Lorgat wasn't involved in my letter' - Becker

David Becker, the ICC's formal legal head, has said that the recent statement issued by him regarding the Future Tours Programme was not linked in any way to Cricket South Africa CEO, Haroon Lorgat. Becker's statement is now the subject of an ICC inquiry, which will also examine Lorgat's role in the affair.

"I wish to state in the most unequivocal terms that the comments made were my own and Haroon Lorgat had absolutely no role in my making them," Becker told the Times of India. "Haroon Lorgat wasn't involved and nor was he aware about the contents of my letter. It is extremely unfair to draw Haroon Lorgat into the whole thing for it is a figment of peoples' imagination to suggest that he orchestrated the whole thing."

Lorgat has already come on record, with the same newspaper, to say he tried to withhold publication of Becker's statement on the grounds that "it might have an adverse impact on CSA." Incidentally, the ICC media release said that all parties had agreed "that no further media comment will be made until [the investigation] has been concluded."

Becker, who was ICC's Head of Legal for five years until 2012 and was also a legal advisor to CSA, had said in his statement that the FTP was legally binding on ICC members as it had been unanimously approved, and that it was "improper" to allow a member body to "blatantly disregard an ICC resolution".

Becker also said that he was willing to state under oath that Lorgat had no role to play in the statements and would state the same thing to the ICC-appointed investigation commission.

"I will soon be filing an affidavit and will state under oath that Haroon Lorgat had absolutely no part to play in my writing the letter," he said. "He wasn't remotely aware of what I was writing and it is plain unfair to drag him into this. I am also prepared to undergo a polygraph test to ensure that truth comes out. I am considering doing the polygraph test myself and handing the report to the investigation commission to put the matter to rest as soon as possible."