The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have appointed Bermuda's former Attorney General Elliott Mottley to conduct an independent inquiry into match-fixing allegations made against star batsman Brian Lara.

Barbadian Mottley, heavily criticised for his handling of the bungled Rebecca Middleton murder case, left the Island in December, 1998, but returned briefly last year to address the Commission of Inquiry into Serious Crimes, when he also came under fire.

Now president of the Organisation of the Caribbean Bar Associations, Mottley has been asked by the WICB to investigate allegations against Lara made by Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta last November.

Gupta was quoted by the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as saying that he had paid Lara $40,000 to under-perform in two one-day matches. Lara, though, has repeatedly denied the charge and has told the WICB he will support any move to clear his name.

The left-handed batsman was among nine non-Indian players named in the CBI's report into match-fixing last year -- Australia's Mark Waugh and England's Alec Stewart were also mentioned -- as having connections with bookmakers.

WICB president Pat Rousseau said yesterday no new evidence had been submitted but, because Lara had not been officially cleared, his board wanted the matter brought to a close.

"Mr. Lara has advised the WICB of his complete support for the initiative being taken to officially clear his name and has reiterated that the allegations are without foundation,'' said Rousseau The Trinidadian is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time and holds the individual batting records at both Test and first-class level.

In 1994, he made Test cricket's highest score with 375 against England in Antigua and, later the same year, he made 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in England's first-class county championship.

Allegations against Lara surfaced amid the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal last year that rocked cricket.

Following a report on cricket corruption by India's CBI, South African captain Cronje admitted receiving $8,200 from a bookmaker in connection with a betting scam, and his admission led to reports that many top matches have been fixed.

According to London's Daily Telegraph, it was alleged that Lara was involved in throwing a match during the 1996 World Cup in India, when the West Indies lost by 73 runs to Kenya and were bowled out on a good batting pitch for 93.

A South African businessman also has alleged that Lara placed winning bets on a 1993 match and supplied information to a bookmaker during a triangular series in South Africa also involving Pakistan.

Elliott Mottley: The former Bermuda Attorney General will lead an independent inquiry into match-fixing allegations against West Indies Test star Brian Lara.