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Legal team meets over Waugh refusal to testify

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January 24, 2001 

MELBOURNE-- (AP) - The Australian Cricket Board's lawyers met Tuesday to discuss ways in which to convince Australian batsman Mark Waugh to give evidence into an investigation probing corruption in the game.

"I'm very hopeful there can be some dialogue with Mark and we can convince him he should change his initial position and speak to the ACB investigation and the ICC investigation," ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed said.

But Speed said he had not ruled out ordering Waugh to an interview with ACB investigator Greg Melick and the International Cricket Council's chief investigator Sir Paul Condon if he continued to refuse.

"That's one of the issues on which we're seeking legal advice," said Speed.

Waugh issued a statement through his manager Monday saying he would "presently decline" to be interviewed by Melick and Condon on the advice of his lawyers.

Waugh's international career is again under a cloud after, on legal advice, he refused to be interviewed by anti-corruption investigator Greg Melick.

The ICC is investigating allegations he accepted more money than was previously disclosed from illegal Indian bookmaker M.K. Gupta in return for Australian team information.

In Wellington, New Zealand, former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe said Tuesday he also won't talk to the ICC's anti-corruption unit unless allegations against him are substantiated.

Crowe's Wellington-based lawyer David Howman said that Crowe had no intention of talking to Condon when he makes his mid-February visit to New Zealand, unless allegations that Crowe took money for match information during the 1991 World Cup can be proven.

Melick and the ICC unit want to speak to Waugh in Melbourne next month after an Indian police report alleged he had taken US dlrs 20,000 from Gupta.

"We're not quite sure why he's unwilling to submit to this interview at this stage so I think there needs to be some dialogue there and over the next couple of days we'll try and sort it out," Speed told a Melbourne radio station.

Asked whether Waugh would be stood down for the rest of the season, Speed said it would be a matter for the ACB board of directors to consider.

"There are unsubstantiated allegations that have been made against Mark Waugh and until there's something further than that, the ACB doesn't see it as appropriate to take further action.

"Whether his refusal to answer questions changes that position - that's an issue we'll have to resolve over the next few days."

Waugh, who denied the allegations at a press conference but has not made an official statement to the ACB, appeared to be testing the will of the ACB which will want the matter resolved before the Australian team leaves for India in mid-February.

The ICC has made it clear that the next step will have to come from the ACB and the board would have to determine what action it would take.

"To some extent we are caught in the middle here in that the allegation is made and the ICC wants an investigation," Speed said.

"He's one of our players and it's important that we have a good relationship with Mark and with all the players, but it is also important that the public can see that we are dealing with it effectively."

The only public forum in which Waugh has addressed the latest allegations was in an impromptu media conference on Queensland's Sunshine Coast last year.

He said then he had already participated in the two inquiries conducted in Australia and Pakistan.

In 1998, it was revealed that Waugh and Shane Warne admitted taking money from a bookmaker called "John" in return for pitch and weather information in 1994.