Two Pakistani cricketers found guilty in spot-fixing trial

[News_Editor]

Two Pakistani cricketers found guilty in spot-fixing trial

2011-11-02 07:37:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty by a London court on Tuesday for fixing part of a test match against England last year, prosecutors said. They will be sentenced on Wednesday.

Former Pakistani captain Butt and opening bowler Asif were both convicted at London's Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to cheat after they plotted to deliberately bowl no-balls during a Lord's Test match against England. They were also convicted of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.

Butt and Asif were charged after allegations about their involvement in spot-fixing appeared in the now defunct News of the World tabloid, owned by Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Lord's Test. The paper recorded Butt's agent, Mazhar Majeed, saying he could arrange fixing schemes with Pakistani players.

The youngest player on the team, Mohammad Amir, had already admitted the same charges at an earlier hearing in early September. The three players were responsible for bowling three no balls during the Fourth Test match at Lords in August 2010.

The judge in the case accepted Majeed was involved in the scam. The court heard he used his influence as agent to some of the players to set up the deceit in return for payment of £150,000 ($239,865) from an undercover journalist posing as a businessman with connections to gambling syndicates.

"This is a case of cheating; pure and simple. The defendants, who are world class cricketers, sought to cheat to enhance their substantial legitimate earnings," said Detective Chief Superintendent Matthew Horne.

Horne recognized it is unusual for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and ultimately the courts to get involved in sporting issues to this degree. "But this case demonstrates our collective determination to do so in serious cases where the conduct is clearly criminal."

He added: "It is unlikely such activity would have been exposed without the good work of investigative journalism; and as an investigator I acknowledge the skill involved in such work."

Sally Walsh, Senior Lawyer in the Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Division of CPS, welcomed the convictions of the three men. "Through their actions they brought shame on the cricketing world, jeopardizing the faith and admiration of cricket fans the world over," she said. "This prosecution shows that match fixing is not just unsportsmanlike but is a serious criminal act."

The men are scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday.

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