Pakistani Players Match Fixing Scandal

The ghosts of match-fixing returned to haunt the Pakistan cricket as the Scotland Yard arrested an alleged fixer after sordid details about corruption in the Pakistan cricket team currently facing defeat in the Lord's Test emerged in a British tabloid.


In a recent development in the case, conflicting reports suggest that the passports of Pakistani players have been seized impending inquiry into the fixing scandal.


'The News of the World' tabloid splashed details of a sting operation it conducted on a London-based individual, Mazhar Majeed.


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The tabloid said it gave 150,000 pounds to him after he promised to arrange for Pakistan bowlers to bowl no-balls during the match.


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Majeed, 35, was arrested on late Saturday night by the Scotland Yard.


The ICC too has now risen to the issue. They have come out with a release after the sting was telecast, saying investigations are on and also clarifying that no player has been arrested. (Also Read: Pakistan cricket's past misadventures)


In a statement the ICC said, "No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident...Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday."


However, seven Pakistani cricketers are now under investigation for match-fixing.


The Pakistan Cricket Board has also confirmed that some of the players are under investigation.


"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 from London.


The two Pakistan cricketers who allegedly bowled no-balls under directions from Majeed were Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif.


Both bowlers delivered three no-balls in the ongoing Test against England on Thursday and Friday at the historic Lord's.


The two bowlers delivered the no-balls at precisely the moments promised to our reporter', the tabloid said.


"Our undercover team was posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel. In return for their suitcase of money Majeed then calmly detailed what would happen - and when - on the field of play next day, as a taster of all the lucrative information he could supply in future," it reported.


Majeed reportedly said: "I'm going to give you three no-balls to prove to you firstly that this is what's happening. They've all been organised, okay? This is 'exactly' what's going to happen, you're going to 'see' these three things happen. I'm telling you, if you play this right you're
going to make a lot of money, believe me!"


Majeed identified Pakistan captain Salman Butt as the 'ringleader of the band of cheats'. He also reportedly named wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and boasted that he had a total of seven corrupt cricketers in his pocket, the report said.


Majeed is identified as a property tycoon with a house in Surrey worth 1.8 million pounds.


The tabloid reporter's meetings with Majeed were held in the Bombay Brasserie Indian restaurant here, and Majeed reportedly went on to allege an Indian connection as well.


He is quoted as saying: "I deal with an Indian party. They pay me for the information."


Pakistan though are facing another humiliating defeat against England. They had reduced England to 47 for five and then 102 for seven on the second day of the fourth Test at Lords but then allowed Trott and Stuart Broad to score centuries and share a new record eight wicket partnership of 332 runs.


Pakistan was bowled out for 74 on Saturday and made to follow-on were they reduced to 46 for four at stumps facing certain defeat and a big series loss.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

LONDON/KARACHI: Bookie Mazhar Majeed, who is now reportedly under arrest, said Pakistan captain Salman Butt was involved in the match-fixing and was the ringleader of the scandal in the ongoing fourth Test against England at Lord's.


In a dramatic development the Scotland Yard detectives visited the Pakistan dressing room immediately after the third day's play to question the players after a British tabloid's sting operation exposed the alleged nexus between players and the bookies.


"Scotland Yard detectives had visited the team hotel where they had taken statements of captain Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, 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 and wides in the series and the Lord's Test.


The tabloid claims it has video evidence confirming involvement of seven players which it had shared with Scotland Yard triggering off the investigation into the spot-fixing racket.


The International Cricket Council said it was aware of all the developments and made it clear that the fourth day's play of the ongoing Test will continue as scheduled.


"No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth 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," an ICC statement said.


Yawar said that the investigators also talked to him but denied that they raided the rooms of the players and recovered money and seized their laptops and phones.


"The police have also spoken to me and we are trying to cooperate with them in every way possible and we are giving them what information they want," Yawar said.


But sources said the Scotland Yard detectives gathered some evidence from the hotel after raiding the player's room.


Geo Television has also reported that Scotland Yard have visited the Pakistan team hotel and inspected players rooms and the police is said to have recovered large amounts of money from rooms of some players and also seized their mobile phones.


Confirming that he had contacted the Pakistan High Commission in London for assistance, Yawar said, "the High Commissioner is also in touch with the Scotland Yard in this issue. We are cooperating with them."


Police in London have picked up Majeed and his accomplice in connection with the scandal. Majeed, 35, was arrested late on Saturday night after the tabloid handed over details of its sting operation to the Scotland Yard.


Sources close to the Pakistan team also have confirmed that the police went into Pakistan dressing room in connection with the arrests as Majeed claims to have paid off some players in excess of 150,000 pounds to fix the Test match.


"The police have carried out preliminary questioning of some players. Majeed is an old associate and friend of many Pakistani players and is settled in London. He has been seen regularly with the players on the tour," one source said.


"The sad part for the Pakistan cricket is that several leading players are said to be involved in this new scandal which could cause untold damage to Pakistan cricket," he said.


Pakistani TV channels reported that the players had been sounded off about the inquiry when the third day's play ended.


"That is why the players left early for the hotel without anyone attending the mandatory day's post-play press conference," a source said.


Pakistan had reduced England to 47 for five and then 102 for seven on second day at Lord's but then allowed Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad to score centuries and share a new record eighth-wicket partnership of 332 runs.


The two Pakistanis who allegedly bowled no-balls under directions from Majeed were Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. Both bowlers delivered three no-balls on Thursday and Friday.


The two bowlers delivered the no-balls "at precisely the moments promised to our reporter," the tabloid said.


"Our undercover team was posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel. In return for their suitcase of money Majeed then calmly detailed what would happen - and when - on the field of play next day, as a taster of all the lucrative information he could supply in future," it reported.


Pakistan was bowled out for 74 on Saturday and made to follow-on where they reduced to 41 for four at stumps facing certain defeat and a big series loss.


While match-fixing is fixing the result of the whole match, the spot-fixing is fixing events within a match, may be on ball-by-ball basis.


This is not the first time that Akmal's name has come up in a match fixing allegation.


After Australian tour earlier this year, former Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam and assistant coach Aaqib Javed (who is still with the team) had expressed suspicions about Kamran's involvement with bookies after assessing his performance in the Sydney Test.


Meanwhile, Iqbal Mohammad Ali who heads National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports blamed the PCB and its Chairman Ijaz Butt for the humiliation Pakistan cricket was facing.


"We and the Senate sports committee had warned that if some players were suspected of having ties with bookies they should be dropped from the team and disciplined.


"But no one paid heed. If these players are now guilty we want to see them behind the bars because this conduct is unacceptable," Ali said.