Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta has not substantiated match-fixing allegations against a string of top international players in a major blow to the International Cricket Council's worldwide investigation.
The ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit announced today that Gupta had failed to meet their deadline of July 1st to back up his claims.
The statement saidGupta, a key figure in the investigations, had twice met the ACU in India, when he "verbally confirmed his allegations to investigators from the unit".
He was, however, told that the allegations "should be capable of challenge and cross examination by lawyers".
The statement said: "He has not responded and it is assumed that he will not allow his allegations to be tested."
Gupta had told the Indian Central Bureau of Investigationhe had offered or paid money to nine non-Indian players, including former West Indies captain Brian Lara, ex-England skipper Alec Stewart and Australian batsman Mark Waugh.
Australia's Dean Jones, South Africa's Hansie Cronje, Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga, New Zealand's Martin Crowe and Pakistan's Salim Malik were also named in the CBI report