London, Aug. 29: The Pakistan cricket team, currently playing in England, has been hit by serious allegations of spot-fixing in the fourth Test match at Lord’s in London on Sunday.
The spot-fixing allegations involve Pakistani fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who have been accused of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Test match at Lord’s last Thursday and Friday.
London’s Metropolitan Police, which has launched an investigation into the allegations, arrested a 35-year-old man, identified as London businessman Mazhar Majeed, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers and he is being questioned.
Majeed was accused of accepting £150,000 from an undercover journalist working for the News of the World tabloid in return for telling Pakistan to deliberately bowl three no-balls. The report also alleged that Test captain Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were also involved in the spot-fixing scandal.
“I’m going to give you three no-balls to prove to you firstly that this is what’s happening. They’ve all been organised, okay? This is exactly what’s going to happen, you’re going to see these three things happen. I’m telling you, if you play this right you’re going to make a lot of money, believe me!” Majeed told undercover reporters posing as front men for an East Asian gambling cartel.