Baddies #7 | Allen Stanford

When Texas ‘billionaire’ Allen Stanford was handed a 110-year jail term in January 2012, as punishment for a perceived $7bn investment fraud, it effectively closed the door on one of the most bizarre episodes in English cricket history.

The governing body was, at the time, desperately chasing business kudos and financial redress after turning down the opportunity to be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. At the helm of the board’s decision-making was chairman Giles Clarke and chief executive David Collier.