Speed to talk with Warne tonight

MELBOURNE, June 13 AAP - Australian Cricket Board chief executive Mal Speed will speak to Australian vice-captain Shane Warne by telephone tonight about the alleged sex scandal surrounding the leg-spinner.

Speed had been scheduled to speak to Warne, who is playing county cricket in England, over contract matters.

"I would like to speak to Shane and hear his side of the story," Speed said.

"It is difficult to respond to newspaper reports."

An English newspaper accused Warne, whose wife and two children are with him in England, of leaving a series of unwanted and "disgusting" messages on the mobile phone of a young woman.

When asked about Warne's repeated refusal to comment about the allegations, Speed replied: "That would be one of the issues I will raise with Shane".

Speed will also meet with Warne next week while the ACB boss is in England on international cricket business.

Also today, Speed said the board would try to find out more about claims raised overnight at the South African cricket corruption inquiry.

South African cricket boss Ali Bacher said he had received a letter from an executive employed by one of the country's cricket sponsors.

That executive said a Pakistani man claiming to be fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had raised allegations while the two were seated next to each other on a flight.

The Pakistani man apparently had said Australian players and officials had connections with match fixing.

Speed said it had been established that no-one by the name of Shoaib Akhtar was registered on the flight.

While he promised the ACB would look into the allegations, Speed urged for caution.

"It's hearsay on hearsay on hearsay," Speed said.