London, Aug. 29: London businessman Mazhar Majeed identified Salman Butt as the ringleader and boasted he had a total of seven cricketers in his pocket, the News of the World claimed.
England bowled out Pakistan on Sunday morning to win the match by an innings and 225 runs and the four-match Test series 3-1. Fast bowler Amir, at the centre of spot-fixing allegations, was given Pakistan’s man of the series award.
In the post-match press conference, Butt and team manager Yawar Saeed admitted that the Metropolitan Police had on Saturday night questioned Amir, Asif, Butt and Kamran Akmal. Three players, Butt, Asif and Amir, had their phones taken by the police, Mr Saeed confirmed.
However, the Pakistani captain and manager did not confirm if police detectives had also seized their passports and laptops and a large amount of cash from their hotel rooms in north London.
The International Cricket Council, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board all issued a joint statement refusing to comment on any details of the ongoing investigation against the Pakistan team. “No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident,” the ICC said on Sunday morning, citing the ongoing police investigation as the reason for making no further comment.
In Islamabad, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressed disappointment over the developing scandal and has demanded a report from the country’s cricket board. Cricket-crazy Pakistanis said on Sunday they felt “violated” and “betrayed.”