Pakistan Cricket Match fixing Scandal
Pakistan Cricket Match fixing Scandal
Yet another scandal rocked Pakistan cricket on Sunday engulfing its captain Salman Butt, brilliant pace duo of Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir and four other players, leading to the arrest of a bookie in London and questioning of the players by the Scotland Yard after a tabloid sting.
Scotland Yard detectives visited the Pakistan dressing room immediately after the third day’s play to question the players after the tabloid sting operation exposed ‘spot-fixing’ and the alleged nexus between the players and bookies.
“Scotland Yard detectives had visited the team hotel where they had taken statements of captain Salman Butt, fast bowlers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir, and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal,” Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said.
The ‘News of the World’ tabloid alleged that a Pakistani man Mazhar Majeed, who is now under arrest, had paid bribes to the players to bowl no-balls in the series and the Lord’s Test.
The paper said it gave him $230,000 for arranging to have blatant no-balls bowled at specific times during play between England and Pakistan. Records show that occurred when two bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, delivered three deliberate no-balls against England on Thursday and Friday.
Amir, Asif and team captain Salman Butt were among the Pakistani players questioned by police late Saturday. The players refused to answer questions from reporters.
The fourth day of the match went ahead Sunday and England’s win gave it the four-test series, 3-1.
Majeed and his brother Azhar are agents who represent a number of Pakistani players. Cricinfo.com reports that Pakistani players were warned ahead of the England tour not to meet the Azhars because of their suspicious activities.
Members of the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Union left their headquarters in Dubai to travel to London to look into the allegations.