England captain Andrew Strauss has been praised by the sports minister for helping the one-day series against Pakistan continue despite suggestions that his players had thrown one of the matches.
Hugh Robertson said Strauss had shown immense maturity and strength of character when abandoning the series would have had serious consequences affecting relations between the two countries across the board.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt responded to spot-fixing allegations against his players by claiming he had heard England may have thrown the third one-day game in return for "enormous amounts of money".
The claims led to threats of legal action and Strauss revealed the team's "surprise, dismay and outrage", but the players decided to continue to play and yesterday Pakistan levelled the series at 2-2 with tomorrow's final match to play.
The England team strongly denied the allegations made against them in a statement released prior to yesterday's match at Lord's.
"I think Andrew Strauss has done outstandingly well", Robertson said.
"He must have personally felt the accusations that were made, as the captain of the cricket team that had their integrity questioned.
"I understand why he felt slighted but he showed a maturity and strength of character to accept all that and deal with it and get the team out on the pitch.
"That says a huge amount about Andrew Strauss as a man."
Robertson said the shock waves of cancelling the series would have reverberated in political and security circles.
He added: "The point I made to the ECB, and I'm delighted they took it on board, is that whatever the irritation, upset and anger - and I understand all those - it is one of those things when cricket is more than just a game.
"Had the series been cancelled it would have had very serious implications to England-Pakistan relations not just in sport but across the piece.
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"Pakistan have major issues to deal with such as the floods and terrorism and this was not the time for a country like us, whose role should be still to support them, to play any part in trying to kick them out.
"I'm delighted that common sense prevailed and I'm personally very grateful to the ECB."
Robertson said no country had done more than England to help Pakistan back into the international fold and had provided venues for them to hold neutral series.
