text: The England cricket team's involvement with multi-billion-pound fraudster Allen Stanford — an all-time low point — has been defended by West Indies cricket legend Sir Curtly Ambrose. Great fast bowler Ambrose never spoke to the media during his playing career but launched his aptly titled autobiography Time to Talk on the eve of the West Indies-England series. Ambrose was one of the West Indies stars, along with Sir Viv Richards and Richie Richardson, who accompanied Stanford when he flew by helicopter to the Lord's nursery ground in 2008 to launch his five-year deal with England that ended with his arrest and subsequent 110-year jail sentence, just one $20million T20 game into the contract. The England cricket team's involvement with  Allen Stanford  has been defended by  Sir Curtly Ambrose . Stanford's deal with England England ended with his arrest and subsequent 110-year jail sentence . Ambrose wrote: 'I wasn't surprised the England Cricket Board officials were taken in by him. We all were. His vision to improve West Indies cricket by using England seemed a hard one to argue with. But we felt that having England as the same opponents over that period would turn things stale.' Richardson said: 'He employed a lot of people in several businesses and built a stadium. He did a lot of good. We thought what he was doing was legitimate.' Richards added: 'To a lot of fellers here, he did well.' Ambrose accompanied Stanford when he flew to the Lord's nursery ground in 2008 to launch the deal . The new ECB president Giles Clarke did not want to discuss the Stanford legacy saying it was a long time ago . However, the new ECB president Giles Clarke, who negotiated the doomed deal and greeted Stanford on his arrival at Lord's with a bear hug, did not want to discuss the Stanford legacy. Before the Wisden launch last week at which he made a fool of himself by haranguing both the guest speaker and Wisden editor Lawrence Booth, Clarke would only say of Stanford: 'That was all a long time ago.' Perhaps it's no surprise, with Stanford's decaying cricket stadium just outside Antigua's airport there for all visitors to see, that Clarke is swerving today's first Test on the island. Michael Vaughan might still be a long way from agreeing terms and working patterns to become England's director of cricket. But he is staying at England's luxury Sugar Ridge Hotel in Antigua, so he's right in the middle of any politics going on over the appointment of a director and ideally placed to judge the mood music of players and management. Director of cricket hopeful Michael Vaughan is staying at England's luxury Sugar Ridge Hotel in Antigua . England rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster seems unperturbed by criticism that after four successive second places in the Six Nations, he's been talking the talk, rather than walking the walk. Lancaster has a speaking engagement a week today in aid of the Dallaglio Foundation along with Sir Clive Woodward, Lawrence Dallaglio and captain Chris Robshaw at a £225-a-head function. The RFU say all Lancaster's talks in the run-up to the World Cup are for charity. Stuart Lancaster seems unperturbed by criticism that he's been talking the talk, not walking the walk . The Grand National peak viewing figure of 8.8million proved that this is one event on the racing calendar that Channel 4 invariably get right, even without Clare Balding. And the occasion was a personal triumph for regular racing presenter Nick Luck, who proved that C4 didn't need a Jeremy Kyle or Jake Humphrey when Balding defected to commentate on the men's and women's Boat Races for the BBC. The Grand National peak viewing figure of 8.8million proved Channel 4 got their coverage right . Regular racing presenter Nick Luck proved that Channel 4 didn't need a Jeremy Kyle or Jake Humphrey . THAT'S A BIT RICH, JIMMY . Jimmy Anderson being interviewed by cricket journalists on the eve of his 100th Test when he is just four wickets from becoming England's record Test bowler, was asked what advice he would give young bowlers starting their international careers. Anderson replied 'Ignore the media', which even if meant 'tongue in cheek', as he later claimed, was a pretty crass thing to say as someone who has benefited hugely over the years from money for newspaper columns. Meanwhile, captain Alastair Cook said he had learned of Kevin Pietersen's century yesterday from Test Match Special's Jonathan Agnew while being interviewed. Surely the ECB should have briefed him about KP's exploits — the elephant in the room — before his media duties. Jimmy Anderson was asked what advice he would give young bowlers and replied: 'Ignore the media' Cricket feuds don't always last as long as the 40-year enmity between Sir Ian Botham and Ian Chappell. Graeme Swann has seemed one of Kevin Pietersen's fiercest opponents since his England banishment but after a handshake of welcome in Auckland during the first World Cup semi-final they worked happily together for Test Match Special. Graeme Swann (left) and Kevin Pietersen (centre) worked  together for Test Match Special after their feud .
target: The ECB's involvement with fraudster Allen Stanford has been defended .
  Sir Curtly Ambrose said he thought Stanford did 'a lot of good' in deal .
  Michael Vaughan is staying at England's Sugar Ridge Hotel in Antigua .
  Stuart Lancaster is unperturbed by claims that he hasn't walked the walk .
  The Grand National peak viewing  of 8.8million was good for Channel 4 .
  Jimmy Anderson said he would tell young bowlers to: 'Ignore the media'
  Graeme Swann  and Kevin Pietersen's feud seems to have ended .