LONDON: Three Pakistan cricketers,
driven by greed, betrayed their
teammates and the sport of cricket
itself by taking bribes to fix incidents
during a Test match against England
last year, a London court heard on
Wednesday.
The plot was orchestrated by Pakistan
captain Salman Butt and his agent
Mazhar Majeed and involved the
team's two opening fast bowlers
Mohammad Asif and Mohammad
Aamer who were instructed to bowl
three no-balls at a pre-agreed time,
prosecutors allege.
"This case reveals a depressing tale of
rampant corruption at the heart of
international cricket, with the key
players being members of the Pakistan
cricket team," prosecutor Aftab
Jafferjee told the jury at Southwark
Crown Court.
He said the men had "contaminated"
the games and "their activity
represents a betrayal by them of their
own team, their own Board of Cricket
and most damaging of all a betrayal of
the sport of cricket itself -- and all for
greed".
The court heard that the scam was
uncovered by a journalist at the News
of the World newspaper, the tabloid at
the centre of the phone hacking
scandal which has rocked Rupert
Murdoch's News Corp empire. The
paper has since been closed down.
Jafferjee said journalist Mazhar
Mahmood, well-known for revealing
wrongdoing amongst British politicians,
celebrities and even royalty often
posing as a "fake sheikh", had
approached Majeed saying he was a
wealthy Indian businessman wanting
to set up a tournament in the
Emirates.
"Were this investigation not to have
been permitted, this activity of 'fixing'
would have certainly continued --
unabated and unaccountable -- and
beyond the reach of the law," the
prosecutor said.
Jafferjee said the activity was
underpinned by the betting industry in
the Asian subcontinent -- Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Far
East, adding that gambling in the Asian
sub-continent on cricket games alone
had a turnover of $40-50 billion a
year.
The jury of six men and six women
was told that only Butt and Asif were
on trial, but Jafferjee stressed there
was "nothing sinister" in the absence
of Majeed and Amir from the
proceedings, the Press Association
reported.
Butt and Asif deny conspiracy to cheat
and conspiracy to accept corrupt
payments between Aug. 15 and 29
last year.
Butt made his Test debut for Pakistan
in 2003 and since then has played in
33 Test matches, 78 one-day
internationals and 24 Twenty20
games for his country.
He was appointed captain of Pakistan's
Test side on July 16 last year, during
the tour of England.
Jafferjee said: "If the prosecution is
right about his activity, that
appointment consolidated his influence
within the team, and assured his
ability to direct activity on the field,
both legitimate and corrupt."
Butt told police in interview that the
timing of three no-balls during the
Lord's Test exactly when Majeed told
the News of the World journalist they
would be bowled was just "a series of
freakish occurrences", the court heard.
Asif was first selected to play for
Pakistan in 2005 and has represented
his country in 23 Test matches, 38
one-day internationals and 11
Twenty20 games.
Last summer he was ranked the
world's second-best Test bowler by
the International Cricket Council (ICC)
and took his 100th Test wicket during
the series in England.
Asif told detectives it was "just
chance" that he bowled a no-ball
exactly when Majeed said he would.
The case continues.
driven by greed, betrayed their
teammates and the sport of cricket
itself by taking bribes to fix incidents
during a Test match against England
last year, a London court heard on
Wednesday.
The plot was orchestrated by Pakistan
captain Salman Butt and his agent
Mazhar Majeed and involved the
team's two opening fast bowlers
Mohammad Asif and Mohammad
Aamer who were instructed to bowl
three no-balls at a pre-agreed time,
prosecutors allege.
"This case reveals a depressing tale of
rampant corruption at the heart of
international cricket, with the key
players being members of the Pakistan
cricket team," prosecutor Aftab
Jafferjee told the jury at Southwark
Crown Court.
He said the men had "contaminated"
the games and "their activity
represents a betrayal by them of their
own team, their own Board of Cricket
and most damaging of all a betrayal of
the sport of cricket itself -- and all for
greed".
The court heard that the scam was
uncovered by a journalist at the News
of the World newspaper, the tabloid at
the centre of the phone hacking
scandal which has rocked Rupert
Murdoch's News Corp empire. The
paper has since been closed down.
Jafferjee said journalist Mazhar
Mahmood, well-known for revealing
wrongdoing amongst British politicians,
celebrities and even royalty often
posing as a "fake sheikh", had
approached Majeed saying he was a
wealthy Indian businessman wanting
to set up a tournament in the
Emirates.
"Were this investigation not to have
been permitted, this activity of 'fixing'
would have certainly continued --
unabated and unaccountable -- and
beyond the reach of the law," the
prosecutor said.
Jafferjee said the activity was
underpinned by the betting industry in
the Asian subcontinent -- Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Far
East, adding that gambling in the Asian
sub-continent on cricket games alone
had a turnover of $40-50 billion a
year.
The jury of six men and six women
was told that only Butt and Asif were
on trial, but Jafferjee stressed there
was "nothing sinister" in the absence
of Majeed and Amir from the
proceedings, the Press Association
reported.
Butt and Asif deny conspiracy to cheat
and conspiracy to accept corrupt
payments between Aug. 15 and 29
last year.
Butt made his Test debut for Pakistan
in 2003 and since then has played in
33 Test matches, 78 one-day
internationals and 24 Twenty20
games for his country.
He was appointed captain of Pakistan's
Test side on July 16 last year, during
the tour of England.
Jafferjee said: "If the prosecution is
right about his activity, that
appointment consolidated his influence
within the team, and assured his
ability to direct activity on the field,
both legitimate and corrupt."
Butt told police in interview that the
timing of three no-balls during the
Lord's Test exactly when Majeed told
the News of the World journalist they
would be bowled was just "a series of
freakish occurrences", the court heard.
Asif was first selected to play for
Pakistan in 2005 and has represented
his country in 23 Test matches, 38
one-day internationals and 11
Twenty20 games.
Last summer he was ranked the
world's second-best Test bowler by
the International Cricket Council (ICC)
and took his 100th Test wicket during
the series in England.
Asif told detectives it was "just
chance" that he bowled a no-ball
exactly when Majeed said he would.
The case continues.
