They have not been charged but Rehman Malik explained, however, that the imminent return of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir does not mean they are cleared from the ongoing criminal investigation.
The government of Pakistan, Malik said, will provide a written assurance that the players be made available if needed for further investigations.
"We have spoken to Scotland Yard, and the [Pakistan] high commissioner to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, has also been in talks with them and they have agreed that the players can return to Pakistan," Malik told Cricinfo.
A source close to the negotiations told Cricinfo the Pakistan team was waiting for a final green signal from Scotland Yard.
"There are 30 per cent chances of them going on Friday and 70 per cent on Saturday," the source said.
All three, the source added, would travel back together.
The trio were provisionally suspended by the ICC last Thursday and were quizzed by police the next day for their alleged role in bowling deliberate no-balls during the fourth Test at Lord's between England and Pakistan; an undercover sting operation by the tabloid News of the World apparently revealed that they had done so at the behest of Mazhar Majeed, an agent to the players.
Majeed was arrested but released on bail while the players had their mobile phones confiscated.
No charges have been pressed against them yet.
"They have not been charged by the police with any offence," a Pakistan team spokesman added. "They have fully co-operated with the police into the enquiries and maintain that they are innocent of any alleged wrongdoing.
"They have agreed with the police to return to England if the police request them to do so to further assist the policein their enquiries."
The Metropolitan Police verified the developments with a statement of their own.
"We can confirm that we have been made aware that the three Pakistani cricketers interviewed under caution on Friday Sept. 3 intend to leave the United Kingdom today, Friday Sept. 10, and have given an undertaking through their solicitor to return to assist the Metropolitan Police Service inquiry in due course," the statement said.
The development follows the news that the PCB chief revealed that Wahab Riaz, the left-arm fast bowler, will be the fourth player to be interviewed by the police in relation to the scandal.
Ijaz Butt sounded confident in his press conference at Gaddafi Stadium earlier that the three players would return to Pakistan soon and though he indicated that the criminal case against them might not be as strong, he did not say they would be cleared.
The PCB's legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi confirmed to Cricinfo that investigations will continue.
The players also have to respond to the suspension notices served to them by the ICC for which they have one more week left.
That investigation and process is separate to whatever conclusion police officials reach.