PORT-OF-SPAIN (Trinidad), Nov 12: West Indies’ leading batsman Brian Lara has been cleared of involvement in match-fixing following an investigation, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said Monday.

The investigation followed an Indian criminal report saying that a bookmaker had offered or paid money to nine non-Indian players including Lara. The former captain always denied the allegations.

“The investigation carried out by prominent Barbadian attorney-at-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 Nov 2, 2000,” WICB said in a statement.

“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,” WICB president Wes Hall was quoted as saying.—Reuters