LONDON, Feb 11: Former England batsman John Crawley has asked for the help of the British prime minister’s wife Cherie Blair to resolve his bitter dispute with English county cricket club Lancashire, according to the Guardian Monday.

Crawley, 30, has reportedly resigned and insisted he will never play for Lancashire again after being stripped of the captaincy at the end of last season, despite still being under contract at Old Trafford.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have convened a contracts appeal panel Friday to resolve the long-running dispute to rule on whether Crawley can leave the club.

The paper said Blair, a leading barrister, will be there to represent Crawley.

It will not be the first time that Blair has been involved in a high-profile sports case.

She was consulted by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) when it was in dispute with the Premier League.—AFP