Pakistan Cricket Players guilty

Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty of fixing parts of a Test against England in a case that has thrown the credibility of the international game into doubt. Former Test captain Butt, 27, and fast bowler Asif, 28, face jail after a court in London convicted them of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord’s Test in August 2010 as part of a “spot-fixing” betting scam.

The cricketers who have defamed the country internationally must be given exemplary punishment so that no one dare to defame the country again. I suggest no leniency should be shown to them and their guilt be treated as treason.

Further, I suggest in the greater national interest of the country, informal ban” of taking Sindhi and Balochi speaking players in national teams for cricket as well as hockey must be lifted by now and as the national teams must look like bouquet with different fragrances of flowers.

Read More

Spot-fixing Cash Found in Butt's Belonging

Cash used in the spot-fixing scandal during last week's Lord's Test is understood to have been found in the belongings of Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt, a report said.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Scotland Yard officers would question Butt on Friday over how marked notes were discovered from his hotel room and in his locker at the Lord's cricket ground.The money is believed to have been part of 150,000 pounds handed over by an undercover News of the World reporter to the alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed, the newspaper said.

The cash, given to Majeed for fixing three no-balls of the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England, is understood to have been secretly marked so that it could be later identified by police.

According to the report, the recovered money was undergoing forensic tests to confirm police suspicions that it came from the News of the World sting.

"Early indications suggest the money found in possession of Butt originated from the sting. There are good reasons to believe this was the case," the newspaper quoted sources as saying.

The revelation came after the International Cricket Council had charged and provisionally suspended the tainted Pakistani trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, from all forms of the game pending a decision on the charges.


Read more Spot-fixing cash

Read More

Pakistan Cricketers Finish England Tour

Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Kamran Akmal have all been questioned by police, although Akmal is no longer part of that investigation.

The Pakistan Cricket Board will continue its own enquiry on Wednesday. And the International Cricket Council (ICC) is also preparing a report, with the results expected within days.

The ICC has already said the tour will continue but it is understood that Pakistan officials will agree that the three players who remain under investigation by the police should not play in the forthcoming games, although they will not be suspended while the investigation is ongoing.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, speaking from Somerset, where they are due to play on Thursday, said: "I am trying to get the team up again and make sure we deliver the best we can in the next few games and try and do the best we can - that's all I can do. "It is no doubt a big challenge and I'll try to make the most of it and I'll try and make sure everybody is nicely focused for the games."

Test captain Butt, fast bowlers Amir and Asif and wicketkeeper Akmal were questioned by police at the team's hotel in London on Sunday following a report that some Pakistan players had been bribed to fix incidents during the fourth Test against England at Lord's.

The allegations centred on three no-balls from Amir and Asif which the News of the World newspaper said had been bowled on purpose at pre-determined times to facilitate betting coups after a "middle man" accepted £150,000 in cash from an undercover reporter.

Read More Pakistan Cricketers Finish England Tour

Read More

Man arrested over cricket 'betting scam' bailed

The man at the centre of cricket betting scam allegations concerning the Pakistan team has been bailed without charge, Scotland Yard said.

The News of the World claims it paid a middleman for details of three no-balls later bowled by Pakistan as predicted. Mazhar Majeed, 35, was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.

Their team manager, Yawar Saeed, said cricket was not "institutionally corrupt" in Pakistan and the claims were unproven.The allegations relate to three no-balls delivered by Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif on Thursday and Friday. A no-ball occurs when a bowler oversteps the line behind which balls should be delivered.

Scotland Yard said Mr Majeed, 35, was bailed to appear before police at a future date. Despite the allegations, the fourth and final Test went ahead at Lord's, with England winning the series 3-1. However, England captain Andrew Strauss said the allegations had "removed the gloss" from his side's victory.

Jonathan Agnew  The game cannot afford for this to be swept under the carpet

Read More  Man arrested over cricket 'betting scam' bailed

Read More

Pakistan-England Test cricket Betting scam

 A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged cricket betting scam centred on the current Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's.

The News of the World claims it gave £150,000 to a middleman who provided details about three "no balls" which later took place when he predicted.

Scotland Yard said a 35-year-old man was being held on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.

Pakistan and England said the game would resume on Sunday as planned.

While there are no allegations that the result of the Test will be affected - or that England players had any knowledge of the alleged scam - BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said the integrity of the sport would be damaged.

"What it does do is make you wonder what is going on in front of you, that is the danger for any sport," he said.

A joint statement issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) read: "No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth npower Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday.

"As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment."

The statement said the ICC, ECB, PCB, along with the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, were assisting the police with their inquiries.

Earlier, Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed told the Associated Press team members had spoken to police at their hotel and were "helping them with their inquiries".

Phil Tufnell  Former England cricketer

I don't see how they can really come out this morning and play a game in which you don't know what is unfolding in front of your eyes”

  Jonathan Agnew's Analysis "This is not necessarily match fixing.Although what it does do if these allegations are true - or even if they're not frankly - you do wonder what you are watching in front of you.This is the danger to any sport, in which there is any question of match fixing, or betting within it -you do wonder if what you have been watching here over the last few days is real or not.And that is the damage to the integrity of the game that these allegations have."

Read More  Arrest over Pakistan-England Test cricket 'betting scam'

Read More