New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to drop tainted players like Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif from the team for the ODI and T20 series against England. (In Pics: Pakistan's endless 'fixing' saga)
Reports say that ICC President Sharad Pawar talked to PCB President Ijaz Butt and urged him to take strict action against the players to restore the credibility of the series.
Senior England players are reportedly reluctant to play the ODI and T20 series unless the players who have been named in the spot-fixing scandal are dropped.
The ECB though is desperate for the ODI series to go ahead on schedule despite the Test series having been marred by allegations of spot-fixing.
Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's captain in the limited overs formats is said to be the power broker to ensure that the tour goes on as planned.
The Interior Ministry in a press release said its two top officials will be heading to England to gather information on each cricketer alleged to have been involved in match fixing.
The matches may take place as scheduled but it's hard to imagine that the players or audience will be able to put aside the facts and allegations that are hurtling across the cricketing world at top speed.
Majeed was arrested over the weekend and was released on bail. Four Pakistani players were questioned by Scotland Yard at their hotel on Saturday night. "Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal," Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said. Butt is the Pakistani captain. The manager went on to stress that he does not believe Pakistani cricket is "institutionally corrupt". (Who is Mazhar Majeed?)
That was before another UK tabloid, the Sun, reported that Pakistani players also rigged the opening Test against England at Nottingham, which the hosts won by a massive 354 runs, in the series just ended. The Sun has reported that Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick was told about Pakistani players being involved in match fixing a month ago.
"Ms Dick, head of the Specialist Crime Directorate, was still assessing that information yesterday when a News of the World probe exposed a Pakistani match-fixing ring," the report said. (Read: ICC will wait for police report before taking action: Pawar)
Meanwhile, another report claimed that the Pakistani players were found with cash exceeding their daily allowances during a Scotland Yard raid on Saturday night.
Majeed also said that he dealt sometimes with what he called an "Indian party" who "pay me for the information." But Pawar said there is absolutely no suggestion of any Indian link. (Read: No Indian involvement in match-fixing, says Pawar)
Veena Mallik, the former girlfriend of cricketer Mohammed Asif, who is one of the main suspects in the current scandal, says the opposite. She says Asif was in touch with an Indian bookie for spot-fixing. (Read: Asif's ex-girlfriend claims he was in touch with bookmakers)
The News of the World announced its sting operation in a world exclusive on Sunday. It released several videos showing footage of a series of meetings that its reporter held with the bookie. The tabloid says its undercover team first met Majeed on August 16 posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel. On August 19, the fixer met the undercover reporter and demanded 10,000 pounds down payment to fix spots.
On the video released by the tabloid, Majeed, who was dining with the Pakistan team at an Indian restaurant, stuffed the money into his pocket before later opening up the jacket in front of the players to show them what he had.
On August 25, a day before the match began, Majeed is seen on video bragging that a Test match played in Sydney in January this year between Australia and Pakistan was rigged. Majeed says he earned a huge amount of money from this.
He then plans no-balls to be bowled in specific overs of the game and later arranges and counts 140,000 pounds paid to him.
Reports say that ICC President Sharad Pawar talked to PCB President Ijaz Butt and urged him to take strict action against the players to restore the credibility of the series.
Senior England players are reportedly reluctant to play the ODI and T20 series unless the players who have been named in the spot-fixing scandal are dropped.
The ECB though is desperate for the ODI series to go ahead on schedule despite the Test series having been marred by allegations of spot-fixing.
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Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's captain in the limited overs formats is said to be the power broker to ensure that the tour goes on as planned.
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The Interior Ministry in a press release said its two top officials will be heading to England to gather information on each cricketer alleged to have been involved in match fixing.
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The matches may take place as scheduled but it's hard to imagine that the players or audience will be able to put aside the facts and allegations that are hurtling across the cricketing world at top speed.
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Majeed was arrested over the weekend and was released on bail. Four Pakistani players were questioned by Scotland Yard at their hotel on Saturday night. "Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal," Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said. Butt is the Pakistani captain. The manager went on to stress that he does not believe Pakistani cricket is "institutionally corrupt". (Who is Mazhar Majeed?)
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That was before another UK tabloid, the Sun, reported that Pakistani players also rigged the opening Test against England at Nottingham, which the hosts won by a massive 354 runs, in the series just ended. The Sun has reported that Scotland Yard's Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick was told about Pakistani players being involved in match fixing a month ago.
"Ms Dick, head of the Specialist Crime Directorate, was still assessing that information yesterday when a News of the World probe exposed a Pakistani match-fixing ring," the report said. (Read: ICC will wait for police report before taking action: Pawar)
Meanwhile, another report claimed that the Pakistani players were found with cash exceeding their daily allowances during a Scotland Yard raid on Saturday night.
Majeed also said that he dealt sometimes with what he called an "Indian party" who "pay me for the information." But Pawar said there is absolutely no suggestion of any Indian link. (Read: No Indian involvement in match-fixing, says Pawar)
Veena Mallik, the former girlfriend of cricketer Mohammed Asif, who is one of the main suspects in the current scandal, says the opposite. She says Asif was in touch with an Indian bookie for spot-fixing. (Read: Asif's ex-girlfriend claims he was in touch with bookmakers)
The News of the World announced its sting operation in a world exclusive on Sunday. It released several videos showing footage of a series of meetings that its reporter held with the bookie. The tabloid says its undercover team first met Majeed on August 16 posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel. On August 19, the fixer met the undercover reporter and demanded 10,000 pounds down payment to fix spots.
On the video released by the tabloid, Majeed, who was dining with the Pakistan team at an Indian restaurant, stuffed the money into his pocket before later opening up the jacket in front of the players to show them what he had.
On August 25, a day before the match began, Majeed is seen on video bragging that a Test match played in Sydney in January this year between Australia and Pakistan was rigged. Majeed says he earned a huge amount of money from this.
He then plans no-balls to be bowled in specific overs of the game and later arranges and counts 140,000 pounds paid to him.
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