Chiefs told to quit over Caribbean calamities

England cricket bosses Giles Clarke and David Collier have been urged to quit over the Stanford Super Series fiasco.

Stung into action by an avalanche of negative publicity, the ECB have launched an urgent review into the events that have thrown the five-year, $100 million deal with Sir Allan Stanford into serious doubt.

But chairman Clarke and chief executive Collier the men who welcomed Stanford with open arms when he flew into Lord's by helicopter last summer are already under attack with one senior county official demanding resignations.

"I asked the ECB to do a lot more checking on Stanford and this competition," said Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove. "We made it clear that we should not enter into this agreement without proper checks but he (Clarke) had already done the deal. The Board should resign."

Kevin Pietersen and his team, angered by Stanford's flirting with their partners, met last night with Professional Cricketers' Association chief executive Sean Morris, who is over here monitoring events.

While Saturday's game ought not to be in jeopardy, there must be doubts about the association surviving much beyond this week.

"We realise there are lessons for us all to learn from this week," said an ECB spokesman.

Meanwhile, Monty Panesar's hopes of playing club cricket in Sri Lanka to help prepare for England's tour of India could be hit by a row over £6,500.

The Bloomfield Club want £7,500 to make room in their side for Panesar, at the expense of a local player, but the ECB having initially offered £500 refuse to go above £1,000.