Beeb want to sell you a Tory (twice)

Updated: 18:26 EST, 10 July 2008

Test Match Special, BBC Radio's flagship cricket programme, double-booked two of the Tory high command at Lord's on Friday, causing huge embarrassment for the Beeb team.

Sports and Olympics Shadow Minister Hugh Robertson was contacted six weeks ago to join TMS for their View from the Boundary slot, filled recently by Sir John Major, Boris Johnson and Baroness Amos. Baron Joffe, Nelson Mandela's lawyer from his 1963 trial, is the guest on Saturday.

However, TMS took up an opportunity nearer the Lord's Test to have Tory leader David Cameron as their Friday guest, but forgot to inform Robertson.

He was still in blissful ignorance on Thursday, despite being a guest of MCC president Mike Brearley when an item in the official programme promoted Cameron's TMS date.

Robertson had even telephoned Sports Agenda to leave a message saying its revelation that Cameron would be having a chat with BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew was 'complete rubbish'.

A shame-faced Aggers admitted he was responsible for not telling Robertson he had been jocked off. Yet it still needed Sports Agenda to track down the Shadow Minister at Lord's to break the bad news.

He wasn't best-pleased, as he had cancelled an appearance at the Kent Show in the heart of his constituency to be heard on TMS.

Agnew said: 'It's my fault' but added lightheartedly. 'It does demonstrate the programme's popularity.'

It is looking highly likely that the ICC Champions Trophy will end up being played in England in September, in view of the increasing security concerns about host country Pakistan and reserve territory Sri Lanka.

Australia, who haven't played in Pakistan for a decade, and New Zealand have already indicated their unwillingness to go to Pakistan and England's players are waiting for a security inspection.

Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford, planning an immediate appeal against his £300,000 FA fine and 18-month suspension, will find relationships have become complicated with Joe Calzaghe, whom he represents commercially.

Calzaghe has just rehired lawyer Gareth Williams, for whom Stretford's appointment was a bone of contention when he previously parted company with the boxer over a money matter.

Wally Pyrah, who founded private bookmakers Blacks last year with Frankie Dettori's former agent Peter Burrell, is leaving the boutique bookies to return to sports PR.

Pyrah is joining betting and gaming specialists 'Square in the Air Communications', whose clients include Wally's former employers Sporting Index. Burrell insists Blacks is thriving despite the departure of Pyrah.

More trials for Giles

Despite his success at the ICC summit in ensuring Zimbabwe won't compete in the Twenty20 World Cup in England next summer, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke might still face opposition when his term of office finishes next March.

There is some unrest in the shires about Clarke's bombastic leadership style, and Mike Soper, the deputy president of Surrey, is one of those seriously considering whether to stand for the ECB's highest office. It needed a second ballot to split Soper and Clarke last time around.

MCC lawyer Holly Roper-Curzon is having to deal with the fall-out from their failure to renew the Lord's gambling licence in time for the South Africa Test.

Furious punters were unable to place bets on site on Thursday and not only will MCC have to offer their official gambling partners Bet365 sizeable compensation, but also write off their own percentage of the £145,000 business that Bet365 do on a good day at Lord's.