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Standing firm Waugh maintains innocence, willing to open books
SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Australian test batsman Mark Waugh said he was prepared to have his financial records scrutinized to prove he told the truth about his dealings with an Indian bookmaker. Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Waugh dismissed as of "no importance" comments by former Pakistan captain Imran Khan questioning Waugh and team mate Shane Warne's involvement with the bookie. Imran said in an Australian television interview on Monday that bookies giving thousands of dollars to Waugh and Warne for pitch reports "didn't make sense." In 1998 the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) admitted it had secretly fined Waugh and Warne in February 1995 for giving what it called routine pitch and weather information to bookies during the tour of Sri Lanka in 1994. Both players admitted to being "naive and stupid" but denied giving information on team lineups or tactics. "Why would the bookies just give money to anyone for just giving a pitch report?" Imran said. He called on the ACB to re-open its inquiry into the affair. ACB spokesman Brian Murgatroyd said on Wednesday that unless new evidence was produced there was no need to launch another investigation. Murgatroyd said if Waugh wanted to have his financial records scrutinized that would be "a personal decision from his point of view." Waugh said he had not seen the television program but he challenged Imran to either "put up or shut up." "I've been through two inquiries, the Pakistan judicial inquiry and the [ACB's] O'Regan inquiry last year, and as far as I'm concerned that's plenty," Waugh said. "I saw his [Imran's] comments on the news and those off-the-cuff comments. I don't think they carry any importance at all. "I think rumors are the worst things in the world. As [International Cricket Council chief executive] David Richards said a couple of months ago either put up or shut up is a fair call." Asked if he would be willing to have his financial records examined, Waugh said: "If need be, then yeah." Waugh, who admitted to being hurt whenever the 1994 bookie incident was aired, said he did not watch the TV interview with Imran because he wanted to distance himself from the match-fixing scandal which has blighted the game in recent months. "I hope we can just get on with the game," he said. "There's too many negative things happening and I think we should concentrate more on the positive aspects of the game."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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