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The suspended chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board yesterday denied allegations of match-fixing in this year's World Cup and alleged a ``conspiracy'' against the board and Pakistan's players.

Khalid Mehmood said 'a lobby' had targeted the board and Pakistan's players after their crushing defeat to Australia in last month's final at Lord's. Pakistan's government announced on Friday that they had suspended the entire PCB pending an investigation into allegations that the team deliberately lost.

Mehmood said: ``The team performed very well except one bad game. You cannot sack the whole board for it. None of the matches in the World Cup was fixed. It is ridiculous.''

The BBC'S hopes of gaining a crumb of televisual cricketing comfort by covering the proposed new 25-over league next year could be scuppered by the involvement of CGU.

Representatives of the insurance company have been included on a working party set up to form the league. Sky have the rights to the CGU National League and any sponsorship for the 25-over competition would be likely to come under their existing TV agreement.

Cricketers have found some unlikely ways to get injured - Derek Pringle once put his back out writing a letter - but Mike Roseberry took the biscuit when he missed Middlesex's defeat by Essex at Southend in unusual circumstances.

Roseberry damaged a shoulder lifting a flower pot, an affliction made more mysterious by the fact that he lives in a third-floor flat with no garden. Middlesex, who have banned Roseberry from Homebase, hope that he and his geraniums recover quickly.

Bulmer's cider chose the wrong man to toast their successful results over the last year when they held a photo-shoot at Lord's on Tuesday - complete with his bottle of Scrumpy Jack, which remained untouched, was Mark Ramprakash, one of only two teetotallers in the England side. The other? Edgbaston hero Alex Tudor who, while pictured with a glass of champagne after his 99 not out, did not sip any of it.

A steward's inquiry is planned into the Essex players' Open golf sweep if Ernie Els should make a challenge for the title today. It has been alleged that the sweep was nobbled by a customer who turned down the corner of the Els entry to make sure he picked it out. Physiotherapist James Davis denies the charge. . .