London/Karachi:
The three Pakistani cricketers accused of the no-ball conspiracy maintain they're innocent, said the Pakistan High Commissioner in London, Wajad S Hasan. Indicating that he believes them, he added that the three men have voluntarily dropped out of the one-day series against England.
"We are extremely disturbed with what has happened in the past one week. They have maintained that they are innocent and on account of the mental torture that has hugely affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play any further," Hasan told reporters.
Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir were questioned today by members of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Hasan said they will stay in the country for as long as they're needed for questioning. "They are here, they are not running away. They are innocent and they are defending their innocence. They are upright young men, in fact one of them (Mohammad Amir) created a record of taking 50 wickets in the shortest time. We will give them whatever support they might need."
The statement signals a calculated compromise between the International Cricket Council, and the cricket boards of Pakistan and England. All three parties want the five one-day matches and two Twenty20 games to take place as scheduled. Millions of pounds are at stake.
Senior players of the English cricket team had stated that they would be reluctant to play against the tainted trio. The news that they won't feature in the rest of the tour was welcomed by Giles Clarke, the head of the English Cricket Board. "I look forward to the series being played in the spirit that matches between England and Pakistan are always played in," he said.
Earlier in the day, Pakistani team manager Yawar Saeed said that the three players had been dropped from the team but not suspended. The International Cricket Council, however, is likely to push Pakistan for more punitive action, given the international embarrassment caused by the current controversy.
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Watch:Did Pakistan fix these matches? |
Pak playerscaught on tape) "I cannot answer anything on their behalf because investigations are being made by Scotland Yard and the ICC and others. The game must go on, cricket will be played at its best," Saeed said. While Hasan said the men had opted out, and Saeed said they had been dropped, Pakistani sports Minister Aijaz Jakhrani added to the confusion by stating that the players may sit out just the T20 matches and return for the one-day series.
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Read:The Cricket scandal that has rocked Pakistan)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is also expected to formally grill Asif, Amir and Butt later today. Its Anti-Corruption Unit is conducting a parallel inquiry into the allegations of match-fixing.
In Pakistan, Asif's ex-girlfriend, actor Veena Malik, says she has handed over 'proof' that Asif has a history of working with bookies. (
Read: Handed over 'proof' against Asif, says Veena Malik) On Wednesday, Malik met with ICC representative Hasan Raza. "From head to toe, Pakistani players and officials are involved in match-fixing. I had gone with Asif to Bangkok before Pakistan's tour of Australia. Asif told me he was offered USD 40,000 by an Indian bookie to under-perform in Australia but he demanded USD 200,000," she told a local news channel.