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.
