Clarke settles IMG dispute

England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke's legal dispute with sports marketing company IMG has concluded in an out-of-court settlement.

Clarke, likely to be re-elected unopposed at the end of this month to his position at the top of English cricket administration, has been involved in a long-running legal battle with IMG.

The libel case was brought against him after he sent an email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India almost three years ago, voicing his concern over the content of meetings in Mumbai between IMG, then Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi and several county representatives.

Clarke believed the intent was to set up a rebel Twenty20 league in England which would be detrimental to the structure and constitution of domestic cricket.

But an ECB statement on Wednesday revealed that matters between Clarke and IMG have been resolved.

It read: "In May 2010 Giles Clarke CBE, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, sent an email to the president of the Board of Control for Cricket In India, the contents of which were subsequently widely reported in the British and international media - which resulted in libel proceedings being issued by IMG.

"This statement confirms that Mr Clarke accepts that IMG did not act in breach of ICC [International Cricket Council] rules and intended to act within the official structures of world cricket.

"IMG accepts that Giles Clarke was not intending deliberately to damage its reputation.

"On that basis the parties have agreed to settle the litigation on confidential terms."

Modi is understood to be still planning to pursue his legal action against Clarke.