Pakistan head to Taunton

The Pakistan squad has left London for Taunton amid the allegations of spot-fixing surrounding several players, while the man at the centre of the scandal, Mazhar Majeed, has been released on bail by Scotland Yard pending further questioning at a later date. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, the three players who have had mobile phones confiscated, have travelled with the squad to Somerset.

Several Pakistan fans outside the team hotel in Swiss Cottage shouted "thieves" at the players as they boarded the coach while Sky News reported that police had removed a number of eggs from people waiting for the coach to leave.

Originally the tourists weren't due to leave London until Tuesday, but the four-day finish to the final Test at Lord's means they have brought forward their departure. They are due to play a warm-up match against Somerset on Thursday before travelling to Cardiff for the first of two Twenty20 internationals on September 5.

Richard Gould, the Somerset chief executive, said the county was preparing as normal for the team's arrival. "We are expecting them in the next 12-24 hours," he told Cricinfo. "They are due to train on Wednesday, but if they need anything before then they'll have the use of the indoor school and gym. We hope to give them the best chance to prepare for the one-day series."
Gould added that the club would be implementing the security plans they used during the World Twenty20 last year when Taunton hosted the women's group matches, but that wasn't a response to events of the last 24 hours.

"We aren't looking at increasing the security presence," he said. "We had already decided to implement the
plans from last year because it was a high-profile side visiting and the model we used at the World Twenty20 was drawn up to cater for such events."
There are a number of fresh faces joining up with the squad for the one-day leg of the tour, including Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi, who returns as captain in place of Salman Butt having given up the leadership following the first Test against Australia, at Lord's, in July. Six players who aren't involved are returning to Pakistan with Imran Farhat, Raza Hasan, Shoaib Malik, Tanvir Ahmed, Umar Amin and Yasir Hameed not included for the Twenty20 and ODIs.
Following the conclusion of the Test on Sunday, Pakistan's team management insisted that their one-day series will go ahead as planned next week and Sharad Pawar, the ICC president, said that was also the feeling of the governing body. "It's the desire of the ICC England and Pakistan that the series should continue," he said.

Andrew Strauss, however, admitted to mixed feelings about the series of five ODIs and two Twenty20s and said that he and his team needed to come to terms with the current issue before turning their attention to the rest of the tour.
"I honestly think that the best thing to do is let the dust settle on this," said Strauss, when asked about the feasibility of the tour continuing. "It's all new and raw and it's easy to get quite emotional about things right at the moment. For all of us, it's better to see how things pan out - clearly the ICC, ECB and Pakistan Cricket Board have to sit down and put their heads together, and decide what the best way forward is, and we as a cricket team we have to take stock as well.
When asked if he was happy to carry on playing against a team that has been accused of deliberately underperforming, Strauss offered a response that was non-committal at best. "It's just so hard to say with incomplete information at this stage," he said. "From our point of view we are going to sit down and have a couple of drinks and celebrate the fact that we won the series tonight. And then in the next few days I'm sure a lot of things will become a lot clearer."
The ultimate decision, he added, would be made at boardroom level. "That's something for the ICC, the ECB and the PCB to sit down and decide what the best way forward is. Clearly there are going to be some very strong reasons for the series to go ahead, but they've also got to sit down and think about what the right thing to do is, going forward, and that's their decision."
Pakistan's manager, Yawar Saeed, however, insisted that the itinerary would continue as planned, with a one-day warm-up against Somerset at Taunton scheduled for Thursday. "As far as I'm concerned the one-day series is on."

Waseem Akram: Hear out the accused players

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram feels it would be hasty to label the seven players as culprits.The Pakistan team management on Sunday confirmed that some national cricketers were under investigation for having taken bribes for spot-fixing in the final Test vs England at Lord’s.
Speaking exclusively to espnstar.com, Akram said that these spot-fixing allegations might have brought turmoil in Pakistan cricket but one must not make drastic conclusions.

“The team morale is down big time, there is a controversy in which six to seven players are involved. The media in Pakistan has already given their verdict on these allegations but one must wait for the allegations to be proven. I know that these controversial claims are bad for the game and the team but we should wait to hear the other side of the story too. The saying ‘innocent unless proven guilty’ must be applied to the players,” Akram said.

The spot-fixing controversy was triggered off after a sting operation by a British tabloid disclosed the involvement of a 35-year-old property tycoon and alleged match-fixer Mazhar Majeed who was seen boasting about the spots being fixed in the final Test at Lords which Pakistan lost by a record an innings-and 225-run margin.
The pace legend said that the row seems to have saddened Pakistan as a whole. “Generally the controversy is looking bad. It’s a bad time for Pakistan and Pakistan cricket. The whole nation is depressed, I hope everything becomes alright but let’s see what happens,” Akram added.
Despite the spot-fixing allegations, Pakistan team management believes that their limited-overs series (5 ODIs and 2 T20s) against England will go ahead as planned next week but Akram believes Shahid Afridi’s men will be up against it.
“Pakistan team will be under scanner and under pressure for the ODIs in England. The Three Lions look a far better side with their confidence sky high at home and this fresh controversy will make matters worse for the returning ODI skipper Shahid Afridi,” Akram concluded

England want Pakistan one-day series to go ahead despite betting storm

The England and Wales Cricket Board is desperate for the one-day leg of Pakistan's tour to go ahead despite the allegations of corruption that surround the team after yesterday's exposé.

Sources close to the board say a cancellation of the two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day fixtures that remain would cost the ECB £10m-£12m, roughly half its reserves at a time when the game is under growing financial strain. The board is hoping that Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's one-day captain who arrived in London last night, will act as a power broker who can ensure the series goes ahead in the wake of the alleged betting scandal that has plunged international cricket into crisis and brought calls for life bans for any players found guilty. The ECB is believed to be demanding that the three players implicated in the scandal be omitted from the one-day series as part of a deal with the Pakistan board.

Police raided the Pakistan team hotel near Regents Park late on Saturday, confiscating mobile phones belonging to the Pakistan captain, Salman Butt, and the fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif as allegations of corruption overshadowed England's victory yesterday by an innings and 225 runs at Lord's, which gave them a 3-1 series win.
Afridi, who resigned as Pakistan's Test captain after their defeat against Australia at Lord's this summer, will take over the captaincy from Butt, implicated in the News of the World sting, when the first Twenty20 international begins in Cardiff on Sunday.
Reports in Pakistan, from sources close to Afridi, suggest that he implored the Pakistan tour manager, Yawar Saeed, to keep the players away from the brothers Mazhar and Azhar Majeed. Mazhar Majeed, who claims to manage 10 Pakistan players, including Butt, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers but was bailed without charge by police last night.

Afridi returns to Pakistan betting scam fall-out

LONDON — He may be a proven ball-muncher and pitch scuffer but Shahid Afridi is now charged with leading Pakistan out of the mire of a corruption probe and to victory in one-day series against England.
Last month, Afridi resigned the Test captaincy -- having returned for only one match after a four-year absence from the five-day format -- following Pakistan's 150-run defeat by Australia at Lord's.
He now returns to a team smarting from an even bigger Lord's loss by an innings and 225 runs -- Pakistan's heaviest Test defeat of all-time -- which saw England to a 3-1 win in a four-match series.
But even the scale of that reverse has been overshadowed by allegations in Britain's News of the World.
The Sunday tabloid claimed it paid 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) to a middle man in return for details about the timing of three Pakistan no-balls against England in the fourth Test at Lord's.
The report alleged Pakistan seamers Mohammad Aamer - the tourists' man of the series - and Mohammad Asif delivered the blatant no-balls at the exact points in the match agreed with the alleged fixer.
News of the World also alleged that Salman Butt, Afridi's successor as Test captain, was implicated in the no-ball probe.
Although a team game, several aspects of cricket -- such as bowling no-balls -- are essentially dependent upon one player and that make it particularly susceptible to so-called 'spot-fixing' where unscrupulous gamblers can rig the result of one incident rather than the more complicated business of 'fixing' a whole match.
Even when he stood down as Test skipper, Afridi made it clear he wanted to lead the one-day side, whom he captained to victory in last year's World Twenty20 in England at next year's World Cup in the sub-continent.
In the immediate aftermath of their crushing Test loss at Lord's, there were doubts as to whether Pakistan's two Twenty20 internationals and five one-dayers against England, which start in Cardiff this coming Sunday, would go ahead.
But Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said: "As far as I'm concerned the one-day series is still on.
"We are moving to the west country and we will play all the one-dayers and all the T20s."
Saeed, speaking at a Lord's news conference alongside Butt, told reporters: "As far as the allegations are concerned, I would still call them allegations.
"It's not really for me within 24 hours to pass a judgment on whether they are true or not."
Saeed also confirmed Butt, Aamer and Asif had their mobile telephones taken away by police on Saturday after being spoken to about the allegations.
"The three gentlemen have had their phones confiscated."
Butt though was in defiant mood.
The 25-year-old batsman pointed out how under his leadership Pakistan had bounced back to draw 1-1 against Australia and beaten England at The Oval by four wickets in the third Test .
"Pakistan has won a Test match against Australia for the first time in 15 years and against England for the first time in nine years," Butt said.
"Does that make me resign from this current situation?"
Butt was invited several times to say if the allegations were untrue but he replied: "They include quite a few people and they are still ongoing and we will see what happens."
Afridi, 30 is no stranger to controversy himself, having been one of seven players either banned or fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following the team's winless tour of Australia earlier this year where he was seen biting the ball during a one-day match.
And during England last's tour of Pakistan, in 2005/06, Afridi deliberately scuffed up the pitch in Faisalabad.
Pakistan's next match is a tour game against western county Somerset in Taunton on Thursday

Pakistan team management to decide players' fate on Monday

KARACHI/LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt and the team management in England will take a call on Monday on whether to send home the players accused of spot-fixing during the Lords Test and to fly in replacements for them.

Well-placed sources in the Pakistan team said that the captain for the forthcoming one-day series in England, Shahid Afridi would be meeting PCB Chairman Butt and manager Yawar Saeed Monday to discuss the situation arising out of the allegations.
The names of seven players, including Test captain Salman Butt, have come up in the allegations brought up by the English tabloid News of the World, whose sting operation led to the arrest of an alleged fixer.
"Obviously there is plenty of tension in the team and an air of uncertainty. There is a feeling of being betrayed among the players who are not among those accused of wrong doing in the series," one source disclosed.
He said at Monday's meeting it would be decided if the players who are under investigation by the London Metropolitan Police and Scotland Yard for accepting bribes from a Pakistani man arrested in London should be allowed to play in the one-day series or sent back home.
"Atleast six of the players who are under investigation are also part of the one-day squad so a firm decision needs to be made tomorrow," the source said.
He said obviously Afridi would make his position clear on the whole situation to Butt and the team manager.
"The investigations are going on and there is a growing concern even in the board what effect they will have on the other players' preparations for the one-day series. Don't be surprised if a decision is taken to fly in replacement players," the source added.
He said that already the situation was pretty tense in the team as the police had confiscated the mobile phones and passports of the players who are accused of spot-fixing in the Lords Test.
"Ejaz Butt is also under pressure because of this sudden controversy. He is also due to meet with ICC officials to discuss the one-day series".
Other sources said that the home board and ICC had concerns if the presence of players under investigation in the one-day series would dilute the interest of the people in the T20 and one-day series.
Particularly so, when according to revelations made by the arrested middleman, Mazhar Majeed, show that it was decided that Pakistan would lose two one-day matches in the five-match series

Agent Released Over Cricket 'Betting Scam'

Cricket agent Mazhar Majeed has been bailed without charge over an alleged betting scam involving the Pakistan national team.

The 35-year-old was arrested after the News of the World (NOTW) claimed he offered to bribe certain

Pakistani bowlers to manipulate a Test match against England.

England won the Test at Lord's by an innings and 225 runs - Pakistan's heaviest Test defeat - securing a 3-1

 series victory.

Pakistan's captain Salman Butt, bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif and wicket keeper

Kamran Akmal have all been questioned by Scotland Yard.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed said police had also confiscated the four players' mobile phones as part of the investigation.
Scotland Yard said Majeed had been bailed to appear before police at a future date.
The NOTW's report said Amir and Asif had bowled pre-arranged 'no-balls' on the opening day of the Test on Thursday.
A no-ball is an illegal delivery where a bowler's foot crosses the line. A run is awarded to the opposing team and another ball must be bowled.
The paper claims three no-balls were delivered exactly as Majeed described during a secretly filmed meeting on the night before the Test at Lord's.
Video footage apparently shows the cricket agent counting out £150,000 given to him by investigators posing as businessmen, who allegedly told him they wanted to bet on no-balls.
Despite the allegations, 18-year-old Amir, who took five wickets in the second innings in the third test at the Oval and six in England's only innings at Lord's, was named Pakistan's man-of-the-series.
Pakistan also intend to complete their England cricket tour, which includes seven one-day internationals, starting next Sunday.
Pakistan Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani promised life bans for any Pakistan cricketer found guilty of match-fixing.
The nation's President Asif Ali Zardari has called for a detailed report from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Butt, who assumed the captaincy when Shahid Afridi retired from test cricket after the first test against Australia, said he had no intention of resigning.
"Definitely we have given our best, but the conditions have been difficult for the batsmen and this has been a very inexperienced team," the skipper said.
Majeed's brother and business partner Azhar Majeed said the claims were "laughable", adding: "I thought it was just rubbish."
Mr Saeed told the international cricket website Cricinfo that Mazhar and Azhar Majeed were agents representing a number of Pakistan players.
The Pakistani side has been dogged by match-fixing scandals and allegations of cheating since the 1990s.

In May this year, the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit looked at the team's poor performance after being heavily beaten by Australia during a tour of the country.
The Pakistani cricket board banned former captain Younus Khan and tour captain Mohammad Yousuf for an indefinite period.
Former captain Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved ul Hasan were banned for one year and fined heavily.

Aamer is 'not that kind of chap'

The mentor and coach of teenage cricket prodigy Mohammad Aamer, Asif Bajwa rejected allegations that the youngster is involved in corruption after he was named in an undercover match-fixing investigation.

Asif Bajwa told The Associated Press that Aamer, who has been likened to Wasim Akram, ‘is not that kind of chap.’ Mohammad Aamer was named Man of the Series and collected a £4000 cheque from the sponsors.

The 18-year-old Aamer claimed a test best 6-84 in the fourth test against England on Saturday. Hours later a British newspaper alleged he and fellow opening bowler Mohammad Asif deliberately bowled no-balls in a spot-fixing scam.

Asif Bajwa first met the left-arm fast bowler when he enrolled at Bajwa’s cricket and school academy in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Sports minister promises life bans

Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani promised life bans for any Pakistani cricketers found guilty of match-fixing. He said he is waiting for the Pakistan Cricket Board’s report on the match-fixing allegations, so he can take action accordingly.

The cricket board was ordered to prepare the report by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Zardari’s spokesperson, Farhatullah Babar, said the President wanted to be kept informed of developments of any inquiry that may be ordered or held in London. He said PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt has been directed to immediately submit a preliminary report about the incident.

‘Current scandal could have been avoided’

The current match-fixing allegations against the Pakistani players in England could have been averted had the recommendations made by the Qayyum Commission been fully implemented.

Malik Mohammad Qayyum told AFP while many of his recommendations were upheld, two players were banned and several were fined.

Qayyum claimed the Pakistan Cricket Board was not ‘strong enough’ to implement other recommendations. He said some of the players are still involved in the team’s coaching, despite his recommendation against them.

Moreover, Qayyum said he recommended that players’ assets must be examined annually, though this too remained unimplemented

Shahid Afridi may resign from captaincy

KARACHI: Pakistan’s captain in the One Day Internationals and Twenty20, Shahid Khan Afridi, is likely to resign from his post as protest against a group of players in the team.

Sources told The Sports Encounter on Sunday that Shahid Afridi is disappointed on the situation emerged after seven of the Pakistani players playing in the Lord’s Test were accused of match fixing and spot fixing.

Sources said that Afridi had already told the team manager Yawar Saeed about this group of players having contacts with two suspicious persons, Mazhar Majeed and Azhar Majeed
                 
It is important to mention here that Mazhar Majeed as arrested by the Scotland Yard on Saturday and he disclosed in Police interrogation that a group of players in Pakistan cricket is involved in spot fixing and match fixing.
Afridi had complained about this group of players to the team manager during the ICC World Twenty20 and suspected that some players committed the crime of spot fixing.
                                
Sources further stated that Yawar Saeed paid no heed to Afridi’s concerns and in the end Pakistan was defeated by Australia in the semi-final in quite dubious fashion.
As per sources, Afridi doesn’t want to keep this group of players in the team as Pakistan are due to take on England in five one Day International and two Twenty20 Internationals, starting from September 5, 2010.
If his concerns were not attended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) authorities, Afridi would tender his resignation from captaincy of both ODIs and T20 teams, the sources concluded.

'Pak players were in touch with bookies during T20 WC'

The Pakistani cricketers' cup of woes seems to be spilling over as British detectives have got hold of audio tapes in which some of them are heard discussing 'spot-fixing' with bookies during the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year. Sources in the team in England have revealed that when Metropolitan detectives questioned the Pakistani players suspected of taking bribes from arrested bookie Majeed Mazhar to do 'spot-fixing' in the fourth Test against England at Lord's, they were also questioned about their telephone conversations during the Twenty20 World Cup.

"The detectives have audio tapes confirming that some players used to speak to Majeed in which they discussed spot fixing in some World Cup games," a team source said.

He also disclosed that Pakistan's one-day captain Shahid Afridi had warned the touring team management to keep the Players away from Mazhar and Azhar Majeed on the current tour of England.

The source said Afridi asked manager Yawar Saeed and assistant manager Shafqat Rana to ensure the two brothers were not allowed near the dressing room or the team hotel.

"Shahid told the management that he suspected Mazhar and Azhar were linked to bookmakers and were corrupting players

particularly Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal," the source said.

The source said Afridi felt that the two brothers one of whom, Majeed, who is now in the custody of the Metropolitan police in London, was always in touch with the players.
"Yawar didn't pay heed," the source said. The source said Afridi also decided to retire from Test cricket after the first Test defeat to Australia at Lord's because he was uncomfortable with the close ties some players had with the two brothers.

"Maybe Shahid got a whiff of things to come and decided to step aside," the source said. The source said the influence of the two brothers was so strong in the team that some players also didn't want Afridi to continue as one-day and T20 captain after he retired from Test cricket.

Pakistan Match Fixing video at Lord's Amir, Asif, Butt involved (FULL)

Differences in Pak dressing room may cause trouble: Source

The Pakistan cricket camp could be heading for yet another controversy after the reports emanated from the touring squad in England that captain Salman Butt was not seeing eye to eye with the coach and a particular group is still calling the shots in the national team.

Details collected by this correspondent have confirmed that there was plenty of resentment in the Pakistan dressing room after the second day of the fourth Test against England.
"The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt who is in London was unhappy with the performance of the players and conveyed to them that if they couldn't perform they could leave the team, he would find replacements for them," one insider said.
"Butt gave them a piece of his mind and some of the players resented the way he conveyed his feelings to them," the insider added.
Pakistan allowed England to recover from a precarious 50 for five to 347 for seven at stumps on the second day with clear on-field tactical blunders by the captain and other players being noticed.
Sources said that Salman Butt himself was not very happy that he still didn't have complete authority to take decisions and that the coaching staff and management were dictating to him.
"Coach Waqar Younus and his assistant coaches and the management are in a strong position and are backing a particular group in the team which is causing issues," one source said.
The Pakistani media tore into the team management after Waqar and assistant manager Shafqat Rana were shown in dancing and celebrating the fall of the early England wickets on television.
"What happened to the celebrations at the end of the day and that is what Ijaz Butt also asked of the players," the source said.
Waqar also had differences with the chief selector, Mohsin Khan during the selection of the one-day squad as he wanted some players to be retained but his suggestions were rejected by the chief selector.
Pakistan cricket since last year has been hit by several controversies mainly created due to groupings in the team and because of player power.
"Even now certain players in the team call the shots and dictate terms and the way final playing elevens are finalised," the source said.
He said that chief selector Mohsin Khan had conveyed to the PCB Chairman that he was not satisfied with the way selection of the playing teams were made during the series.
"It is the prerogative of the tour selection committee to finalise the playing eleven in a series," the source explained.

Police question Pakistan cricket team over newspaper's matchfixing allegations

LONDON — Police have questioned Pakistan's cricket team over newspaper allegations of matchfixing during the current Test match against England at Lord's, the team's manager said on Saturday.

"I can confirm that we are aware of the allegations and Scotland Yard police are with us now at the hotel and we are helping with their inquiries," team manager Yawar Saeed told The Associated Press. "This is as much as I can say at the moment."

British newspaper the News of the World alleged in its Sunday edition that Pakistan players were

Secretly paid to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth and final Test against England as part of a betting scam.

The newspaper says it has secretly-filmed video footage of its undercover reporters, posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel, in discussion with a man who appears to accept 150,000 pounds (C$244,000) in order to make sure no-balls are bowled at certain times during the match.

The News of the World says it has passed all its evidence to the police.
Scotland Yard police said in a statement: "Following information received from the News of the World, we have today arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers."
The International Cricket Council said it was aware of the situation and it, along with the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board, was "fully assisting" police with their inquiries.
"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," said the ICC's statement. "As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment."
Any player found guilty of involvement in matchfixing faces a life ban from the sport.
Pakistan needs to win the final Test against England at Lord's to salvage a draw in the four-match series, but it faces an uphill task after scoring just 74 in reply to England's first innings total of 446.

Many players want Afridi removed because he is ‘Honest’? (Majeed)

He said: “Boss I’m telling you, the timing you’ve come into. It’s perfect because the one days and Twenty20s are about to start and we’re going to be making a hell of a lot money.”

Incredibly, he said he could guarantee Pakistan would LOSE two one-dayers.

He explained many players want Test skipper Salman Butt to remain captain for all matches, but the Pakistanis have drafted in veteran Shahid Afridi to lead the side for the one day internationals and Twenty20 matches. Majeed said: “A lot of the boys want to f*** up Afridi because he’s trying to f*** up things for them.
“They all want Butt to be captain. They want to lose anyway.
“Let’s say for example Twenty20, I’ll tell you the bowlers, how many minimum runs they’re going to concede. And the batsmen. I’m going to tell you how many, like say it was on the two opening batsmen, Salman and Kamal, for example, you’ve only got twenty overs, they’re going to waste two overs, three overs.
“The Twenty20s are easiest. Then the bowlers as well, yeah, they will certainly give a certain amount of runs and they’re going to be batting as well and give their wickets. We’ll finalise a price for each one and we’ll just take it off the balance. We’ll take it off the 150 (grand) balance until we’re square.”
And he reassured: “Boss believe me, you are talking to the right people.”

Match-fixer pockets £150k as he rigs England Test at Lord's

          News of the World smashes multi-million pound cricket match-fixing scandal

THE News of the World has smashed a multi-million pound cricket match-fixing ring which RIGGED the current Lord's Test between England and Pakistan.

In the most sensational sporting scandal ever, bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif delivered THREE blatant no-balls to order. Their London-based fixer Mazhar Majeed, who let us in on the betting scam for £150,000, crowed "this is no coincidence" before the bent duo made duff deliveries at PRECISELY the moments promised to our reporter.

Armed with our damning dossier of video evidence, Scotland Yard launched their own probe into the scandal

How England Pakistan Test match was rigged for £150,000

Millions around the world watched Pakistan star bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif deliver three no-balls in the Test against England on Thursday and Friday at the historic home of cricket, Lord's in London.

Unsuspecting fans packed the ground yesterday to watch Pakistan collapse as they were bowled out for 74 in their first innings and forced to follow on.

           CAUGHT: Fixer Majeed beckons to our man to begin the £150,000 handover

But today our shock footage of the players' fixer Mazhar Majeed taking a massive £150,000 cash, and telling us EXACTLY when the no-balls would come, proves the game was RIGGED.
Having already trousered a £10,000 upfront deposit - which he insisted had gone to the stars - Majeed sat in our west London hotel room at the Copthorne Tara on Wednesday night and eagerly counted out the £140,000 balance in bundles of crisp £50 notes - our "entry ticket" into his already successful betting scam.
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.
He promised: "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!"

           LEFT TO RIGHT: Bowler Asif, skipper Butt, bowler Amir, keeper Akmal

We can sensationally reveal Majeed identified young Pakistan captain Salman Butt as the ringleader of the band of cheats. He also named wicket keeper Kamran Akmal and boasted he had a total of SEVEN corrupt cricketers in his pocket, all banking huge sums from bookies and betting syndicates. The scam, fuelled by greed, is a betrayal by the players not only of their sport but of their cricket-crazy homeland.

                        COUNTING IT OUT: Fixer tots cash up bundle by bundle

As millions back home in Pakistan struggle against hunger and disease amid devastating floods, the cheats were defiling the reputation of Lord's and lining their own pockets.
In a meeting with our investigators puppet-master Majeed:
BRAGGED that the scam is rife and future games against England this summer are already earmarked for cheating.
CONFESSED his match-fixing round the world had netted customers MILLIONS.
REVEALED how he oversees cheating by using no-balls, specifying how many runs will be scored or conceded in certain overs, with signals such as changing gloves to confirm the fix is on.
ADMITTED he abuses his position as owner of non-league Croydon Athletic FC to launder his illicit gains.
At one stage Majeed told us our syndicate could make "absolutely millions, millions" by paying him up to £450,000 a time for info on matches, then placing bets on the fixed outcome. And he tried to excuse the players' shameful behaviour, claiming: "These poor boys need to. They're paid peanuts."

Majeed said he had even opened Swiss bank accounts for them to hide their ill-gotten gains. We launched our investigation two weeks ago after a tip-off. The Pakistan side has long been dogged by match-fixing allegations. Only today has the full shocking extent been laid bare.

Property tycoon Majeed, 35, has a £1.8 million home in Surrey and is a familiar face at cricket grounds around the world. We infiltrated his criminal network posing as wealthy businessmen on the make.

Majeed turned up for our first meeting on Monday, August 16, at the Hilton in London's Park Lane, dressed in jeans and a sweater. He immediately started bragging of his connections with the Pakistani team. "I manage ten of the players," he told us. "I do all their affairs like contracts, sponsorship, marketing, everything. I work very closely with the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board)."
Our reporters told him they wanted to organise their own Twenty20 tournament in the Middle East. Majeed claimed he would be able to provide his players for the right fee. When our man assured Majeed the players would do well out of it, he immediately said with a wink: "I know what you're talking about because I know what goes on!"
Majeed then hinted at the extent of cheating in the game. .

REPORTER: "If there's two or three that are on for the other side, the betting side, then good luck - they'll be really happy."
MAJEED: "There's more than two or three. Believe me. It's already set up. That's already there. I'm very wary speaking about this simply because I don't know you guys. I've been dealing with these guys for seven years, okay? Who we deal with and how we deal with it is very, very important. This is the main thing. I'm only dealing with certain people. How we do it and what we do is very, very crucial."
REPORTER: "You're already dealing with another party on this matter? Give us some tips as well if you've got any. Happy to cut us in?"
MAJEED: "Yeah I'll give you tips."
REPORTER: "If there's anything we need to know in the forthcoming match let me know. Happy to pay."
Majeed said he was worried our men could be wearing tape recorders and he would check them out before going further.

IT'S A DEAL: Satisfied Majeed puts money back in case

Two days later at the Bombay Brasserie Indian restaurant in central London, Majeed told us we had begun to gain his trust. He had spent the day at the Oval where Pakistan bowled England out for 233 on the first day of the third Test. After a trusted source vouched for our credentials, Majeed relaxed and laid his cards

on the table. . .

MAJEED: "I do feel that I can speak to you about this, okay? Now, yes. . . there is very big money in it."
REPORTER: "There's still? I know there was, but they clamped down on match fixing I heard."
MAJEED: "They've toned down match-fixing a lot, yeah. They've made it very, very difficult. These guys won't deal with just anybody. The only reason they'll deal with me is because they know I'm professional, they've known me for years.
"I've been doing it with them, the Pakistani team, for about 2½ years. And we've made masses and masses of money."
Later that night Majeed boasted how it was the players who got HIM into match-fixing. He told us: "The players would never tell anybody else. They were the ones who actually approached me about this. This is the beauty of it.
"I was friends with them for four, five years and then they said this happens. I said really?"

OVER: Majeed leaves with the cash that fixed Lord's Test

Majeed then described how the betting scam operates. He reached into a carrier bag, pulled out a white

BlackBerry phone and flicked through a series of messages.

"I deal with an Indian party," he said. "They pay me for the information."
Then Majeed explained how many cricket bets are placed on what he called "brackets" - events happening in a group of 10 overs. If players score well in the first three overs punters would be likely to bet on that continuing for the next seven. But if the fixed players then deliberately STOP scoring or slow down, anybody in on it can "make a killing", said Majeed. The same happens with bowlers giving away runs or throwing no-balls.
Not only is Majeed's information invaluable to syndicates involved in spread betting - where wagers are staked on a range of possible outcomes - it is also golddust for shady bookies looking to manipulate the odds in their favour.
The following night - Thursday August 19 - Majeed demanded £10,000 then revealed to us there would be two no-balls in the following day's Oval play.
That fix was cancelled on the day. So was a promised maiden over by captain Salman Butt on the Saturday - final day of the Test England lost. But days later - with our extra £140,000 in his hands - he delivered the promised goods at Lord's.
Last night a Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Following information from the News of the World we have today arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers."
Scotland Yard officers last night visited Lord's and the Pakistan players' London hotel. Police are set to speak to the players today.
In a joint statement issued early today, the International Cricket Council, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the Test would resume today as planned.
The statement added all three bodies were assisting the police with their inquiries, but as the matter was under investigation they would not be making any further comment.

Afridi extends help to flood victims

Pakistan ODI captain Shahid Afridi will hold two charity dinners in UK to raise funds for the millions of people left homeless by the devastating floods in his country.

The flamboyant all-rounder said from London that he hoped to raise considerable amount of donation in cash and kind from the charity dinners and had the full support of the national team behind him.

"Players in the team are well aware of the devastation caused by these floods and the fact that how much need there is for us cricketers to also contribute towards rehabilitation of these homeless people," Afridi said.

The all-rounder has already visited some flood-hit areas before leaving for England where he will captain the national team in two Twenty20 matches and five ODIs against the hosts next month.
Afridi said he had received very good response from all sections of society in his appeal for donation in Pakistan and he personally distributed goods and cash to the flood victims.
"We distributed goods worth Rs 2 million in Nowshera," he said.
Afridi said that it was good to see the Pakistan cricket community also get on one platform to raise the funds for the flood victims.
"If I get a chance to speak to players of other teams I will also request them to give us a helping hand because millions have been affected by the floods," he said.
Afridi referring to the series itself said he saw it as a golden opportunity to start finalising the nucleus of the team for the 2011 World Cup, to be held in the sub-continent.
"After this ODI series in England we will know the shortlist of players who will eventually be in contention for the World Cup.
"I think, it is time for us to try our new combinations because unless we do that we can't move forward or hope to do well in the World Cup," he said.
Afridi also said though as captain the ODI series in England was a big challenge for him but it would also allow the selectors and team management to shortlist players for the World Cup.
"We have some very good players of T20 and 50-over cricket and we need to finalise our World Cup squad in advance so that we can put up a good show in the mega event."
He feels those days were gone when Pakistan, India or Sri Lanka could say that they had advantage of playing in the sub-continental conditions.
"I think this World Cup will be a close one as now nearly every second team and players are used to the conditions in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even Pakistan. So it is a question of doing your best on a given day," he said.

Afridi to hold charity dinners in UK for flood victims

Karachi, Aug 28 (PTI) Pakistan ODI captain Shahid Afridi will hold two charity dinners in England this weekend to raise funds for the millions of people displaced and left homeless by the devastating floods in his country.

The flamboyant all-rounder said from London that he hoped to raise considerable amount of donation in cash and kind from the charity dinners and had the full support of the national team behind him.

"Players in the team are well aware of the devastation caused by these floods and the fact that how much need there is for us cricketers to also contribute towards rehabilitation of these homeless people," Afridi said.

The all-rounder has already visited some flood-hit areas before leaving for England where he will captain the national team in two Twenty20 matches and five ODIs against the hosts next month.

Afridi said he had received very good response from all sections of society in his appeal for donation in Pakistan and he personally distributed goods and cash to the flood victims.

"We distributed goods worth Rs 2 million in Nowshera," he said.

Afridi said that it was good to see the Pakistan cricket community also get on one platform to raise the funds for the flood victims.

"If I get a chance to speak to players of other teams I will also request them to give us a helping hand because millions have been affected by the floods," he said.

Afridi referring to the series itself said he saw it as a golden opportunity to start finalising the nucleus of the team for the 2011 World Cup, to be held in the sub-continent.

"After this ODI series in England we will know the shortlist of players who will eventually be in contention for the World Cup.

"I think, it is time for us to try our new combinations because unless we do that we can''t move forward or hope to do well in the World Cup," he said.

Afridi also said though as captain the ODI series in England was a big challenge for him but it would also allow the selectors and team management to shortlist players for the World Cup.

"We have some very good players of T20 and 50-over cricket and we need to finalise our World Cup squad in advance so that we can put up a good show in the mega event."

He feels those days were gone when Pakistan, India or Sri Lanka could say that they had advantage of playing in the sub-continental conditions.

"I think this World Cup will be a close one as now nearly every second team and players are used to the conditions in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even Pakistan. So it is a question of doing your best on a given day," he said.

Pakistan to perform better in ODIs: Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan ODI and T20 skipper Shahid Afridi said on Friday that the Pakistan cricket team would perform better in five ODIs and two Twenty20s against England than they performed in the Test series.

“Certainly our ODI and T20 squad is better than our Test team and we would perform better than what we did in the Test series. Moreover, team’s morale would be high after their victory in the third Test against the hosts,” Afridi told reporters here before leaving for England on Friday.

He said that he would not only be going out in the ODI series to win but also to observe players for the World Cup which will be held next year.
“We want to finalise players for the World Cup on the basis of their performance in this series,” he said.
He said he was leaving early for England because he will attend two programmes for raising funds for the flood affectees

Waqar, Afridi at loggerheads

Waqar Younis is reportedly at loggerheads with Shahid Afridi over the omission of Shoaib Malik.
Besides the ODI and Twenty20 captain, Waqar also expressed his unhappiness over the exclusion of Umar Amin with chief selector Mohsin Khan for the squad for the one-day series in England.

Reliable sources told PTI that Waqar wanted Malik and Amin to be retained in the one-day squad and had disagreed with Mohsin and Afridi when they consulted him on phone while finalising the squad on Wednesday.

"Waqar felt that Pakistan needed Malik's experience for the one-day series and he would get back into form soon. While he also believes that Umar Amin is a great talent for the future and must be given confidence," one source said.

Malik played in three Tests in England and failed in them while Amin too came a cropper.
Both were dropped from the one-day squad by the selectors owing to poor form.
Afridi also said it was time for Pakistan to start preparing a nucleus of players for the 2011 World Cup.
The source said the chief selector had also questioned the need to have rookie left-arm spinner Reza Hasan for the Test matches when Pakistan had been playing the experienced spinner Abdul Rehman.
Incidentally, Pakistan's former coach Mudassar Nazar has also come out in favor of having Malik in the team despite the all-rounder's recent poor form.
Mudassar told a cricket website that Malik's omission came as a surprise to him.
"Shoaib Malik's omission has been rather surprising and is not justified. He has been a good one day player and should have been in the squad," he said.

England ODIs, T20s a challenging task for me: Afridi

KARACHI: Following an abrupt retirement from Test cricket in his first match back after four years, Pakistan’s ODI and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi set off for England, this time confident of a good show against the hosts in conditions still tough for him and his team.

But the captain agreed that the limited-overs team was better than the Test squad, given the lack of technique and temperament.“We have a better side for ODIs and T20s than we have in the longer version as our players lack much-needed patience for the Tests,” Afridi told The Express Tribune. “It would be a challenging series for me as captain as well since things won’t be that easy against England. They are a balanced side and at home they are very tough because they exploit their conditions very well.”

Afridi will be leaving for England tonight, well ahead of his teammates with the final phase of the tour – back-to-back Twenty20s and five ODIs – not starting until September 5, as he seeks to generate funds for the flood victims.

Pool of players sought before the World Cup
Meanwhile, Afridi has asked the selection committee and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to prepare a list of players for the World Cup that will start in February next year.
“I’ve asked the board to select a pool of around 25 players for the event. There’s little time left in the World Cup and the list should be prepared early because it would help us in finalising our best players for tournament,” he said before adding that the list should be finalised before the series against South Africa in October.

Akhtar’s selection defended
Shoaib Akhtar may be in the twilight of his career, but the 35-year old pacer is still an asset for the captain who feels the fast bowler can still win matches for his team. “He’s an asset for the team. The opposition feels his pressure because he has the ability to win us matches. I won’t over-bowl him and use him for short spells.”