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Three more Pakistan cricketers named in court in spot-fixing case
Three more Pakistan international cricketers have been named in court in connection with alleged attempts to fix events at the fourth Test against England at Lord's last summer.
It has been alleged that Umar Akmal, his brother Kamran and Wahab Riaz would carry out instructions from the agent Mazhar Majeed, who has been charged with accepting corrupt payments and cheating at gambling. The names emerged on the second day of the trial involving Pakistan's former captain, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Asif. Butt, 26, and fast bowler Asif, 28, deny conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat.
Majeed, and the teenage bowler Mohammad Amir who has also been charged are not in the dock, although the jury has been told there is "nothing sinister" in their absence. The court had heard on Tuesday how Majeed bragged to an undercover journalist that he had "two bowlers, two batsmen and two all-rounders" under his control, with the batsman Imran Farhat also being named. However, according to the prosecution Majeed did clarify that Farhat was "not completely in the circle".
In a day of high drama, the court also heard of a conversation between Majeed and an unnamed Indian caller who is said to have frequently appeared in telephone schedules relating to the case and whom the prosecution has described as "sinister". The discussion took place with Pakistan in a dominant position in the earlier third Test against England at the Oval.
"They talk about 'what we spoke about last night, and what offer can be made?'," the prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee told the court. "The Indian caller provides a figure of a million dollars.
"The only context to place this in the light of all the evidence thus far, would be the price for Pakistan to lose the Test match when they were plainly poised for a memorable victory. Nothing else would make sense. It reveals that at least the idea had been floated certainly between Majeed and the Indian party." The case continues.
Three more Pakistan cricketers named in court in spot-fixing case | Sport | guardian.co.uk
Three more Pakistan international cricketers have been named in court in connection with alleged attempts to fix events at the fourth Test against England at Lord's last summer.
It has been alleged that Umar Akmal, his brother Kamran and Wahab Riaz would carry out instructions from the agent Mazhar Majeed, who has been charged with accepting corrupt payments and cheating at gambling. The names emerged on the second day of the trial involving Pakistan's former captain, Salman Butt, and Mohammad Asif. Butt, 26, and fast bowler Asif, 28, deny conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat.
Majeed, and the teenage bowler Mohammad Amir who has also been charged are not in the dock, although the jury has been told there is "nothing sinister" in their absence. The court had heard on Tuesday how Majeed bragged to an undercover journalist that he had "two bowlers, two batsmen and two all-rounders" under his control, with the batsman Imran Farhat also being named. However, according to the prosecution Majeed did clarify that Farhat was "not completely in the circle".
In a day of high drama, the court also heard of a conversation between Majeed and an unnamed Indian caller who is said to have frequently appeared in telephone schedules relating to the case and whom the prosecution has described as "sinister". The discussion took place with Pakistan in a dominant position in the earlier third Test against England at the Oval.
"They talk about 'what we spoke about last night, and what offer can be made?'," the prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee told the court. "The Indian caller provides a figure of a million dollars.
"The only context to place this in the light of all the evidence thus far, would be the price for Pakistan to lose the Test match when they were plainly poised for a memorable victory. Nothing else would make sense. It reveals that at least the idea had been floated certainly between Majeed and the Indian party." The case continues.
Three more Pakistan cricketers named in court in spot-fixing case | Sport | guardian.co.uk