Report clears Lara of match-fixing

Star West Indian batsman Brian Lara, has been cleared of all charges of involvement in match-fixing following an investigation into allegations against him. This was announced by the Rev. Wes Hall, president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), during a press conference on Monday.

The investigation carried out by prominent Barbadian attorneyat-law Elliott Mottley found no evidence in support of the allegations made against Lara contained in the Report of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations of India on Cricket Match Fixing and Related Malpractices, dated November 2, 2000.

"Mr. Mottley's investigation on behalf of the West Indies Cricket Board has indicated that the allegations made against Brian were unfounded and not supported by any evidence," Rev. Wes Hall, announced during a news conference at the Trinidad Hilton Hotel.

Hall added: "We now consider that this matter is hereby officially closed and wish to thank Mr. Mottley for his investigation and his report. We wrote Brian's lawyers informing them that the matter is officially closed and that the allegations made against him were unfounded."

Rev. Hall also said the WICB has submitted the report to the ICC.

During the investigation, commissioned in April last year, Mottley conducted personal interviews with several people including Lara, submitted questions to several people in writing, visited the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit for discussions with Lord Condon and his staff, as well as compiled reports on the meetings held and findings of the investigation.