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==Investigation==
==Investigation==
As a result of the newspaper report, Scotland Yard announced during the evening that they had arrested Majeed on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arrest over Pakistan-England Test cricket 'betting scam' |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11122388 |work=BBC News |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2010-08-29 |accessdate=2010-08-29 }}</ref> Two days later, after the Test match had been completed, three more arrests were made (two unidentified men and an unidentified woman) on suspicion of money laundering in connection with the allegations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/475263.html |title=Three more arrests in fixing investigation |date=2010-08-31 |work=CricInfo |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2010-11-15 }}</ref> Police also seized the cell phones of Asif, Amir, and [[Salman Butt]] as part of their investigations. Scotland Yard announced on 17 September 2010 that the initial file of the investigation had been passed onto the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] for them to decide whether to charge the players or not.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/477549.html |title=Police say fixing evidence given to prosecutors |date=2010-09-17 |work=CricInfo |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2010-11-15 }}</ref> On 5 November 2010 Scotland Yard announced that they had passed on the second file of fixing evidence to the [[Crown Prosecution Service]]. This moved the case one step closer to the courts.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/485648.html |title=Second file of evidence passed to CPS |date=2010-11-05 |work=CricInfo |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2010-11-15 }}</ref>
As a result of the newspaper report, Scotland Yard announced during the evening that they had arrested Majeed on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arrest over Pakistan-England Test cricket 'betting scam' |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11122388 |work=BBC News |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2010-08-29 |accessdate=2010-08-29 }}</ref> Two days later, after the Test match had been completed, three more arrests were made (two unidentified men and an unidentified woman) on suspicion of money laundering in connection with the allegations.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/475263.html |title=Three more arrests in fixing investigation |date=2010-08-31 |work=CricInfo |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2010-11-15 }}</ref> Police also seized the cell phones of Asif, Amir, and [[Salman Butt]] as part of their investigations. Scotland Yard announced on 17 September 2010 that the initial file of the investigation had been passed on to the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] for them to decide whether to charge the players or not.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/477549.html |title=Police say fixing evidence given to prosecutors |date=2010-09-17 |work=CricInfo |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2010-11-15 }}</ref> On 5 November 2010 Scotland Yard announced that they had passed on the second file of fixing evidence to the [[Crown Prosecution Service]]. This moved the case one step closer to the courts.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/485648.html |title=Second file of evidence passed to CPS |date=2010-11-05 |work=CricInfo |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2010-11-15 }}</ref>


==Reactions==
==Reactions==

Revision as of 13:46, 24 July 2011

The Pakistan cricket spot-fixing controversy refers to allegations stemming from a report by News of the World released during the Pakistani cricket team's tour of England. It was alleged that three Pakistani players, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt, had accepted bribes from agent and bookmaker Mazhar Majeed to purposely under-perform at certain points in the 4th Test at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, England. Undercover reporters from News of the World secretly video-taped Mazhar Majeed accepting money and informing the reporters that fast bowlers Asif and Amir would deliberately bowl no-balls at specific points in an over. This was information which could be used by gamblers to make wagers with inside information (a process known as spot-fixing; compare with match fixing where the result of a whole match is predetermined).[1] In response to the allegations, Scotland Yard arrested Majeed on the charge of match-fixing. The International Cricket Council (ICC) temporarily suspended the three players from playing in international cricket while investigating. The players denied the charges and maintained their innocence. A three-man tribunal was held in 2011, and the three players were suspended from all forms of cricket for terms of five to ten years.

Prior concerns about corruption

The International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit had served notices to two unnamed Pakistani players seeking information into allegations of spot and match fixing. These notices were sent out to the players following Pakistan's first Test Match against England at Nottingham. The notices informed the players that the ACSU was seeking certain information and that the pair had 14 days to respond.[2]

Sting operation

Reporters from News of the World established contact with Mazhar Majeed, a sports agent who was suspected of involvement in match-fixing. In the video posted by News of the World, Majeed, counting out the bribe money, predicted that Amir would be Pakistan's bowler for the first over, and that the third ball of the over would be a no-ball delivery. Amir did bowl the first over, and on his third delivery from the over, bowled a no-ball delivery. Commentary described the delivery as a "massive overstep", a good half-foot beyond the popping crease.[3] Majeed also predicted that the sixth delivery of the tenth over would be a no-ball, and the ball, delivered by Asif, was also a no-ball delivery.

Investigation

As a result of the newspaper report, Scotland Yard announced during the evening that they had arrested Majeed on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.[4] Two days later, after the Test match had been completed, three more arrests were made (two unidentified men and an unidentified woman) on suspicion of money laundering in connection with the allegations.[5] Police also seized the cell phones of Asif, Amir, and Salman Butt as part of their investigations. Scotland Yard announced on 17 September 2010 that the initial file of the investigation had been passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service for them to decide whether to charge the players or not.[6] On 5 November 2010 Scotland Yard announced that they had passed on the second file of fixing evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. This moved the case one step closer to the courts.[7]

Reactions

The spot-fixing controversy caused a major furore in the sporting world, primarily in international cricket and especially in Pakistan, as people presumed that cricket had been cleaned of match-fixing following the Hansie Cronje affair in early 2000.

The three players

All three players maintain their innocence in the charges levelled against them. Salman Butt became the first to file an appeal to have his temporary suspension lifted by the ICC.[8] The remaining two players Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir followed suit. The ICC announced that a hearing would be held in Qatar on October 30 and 31.[9] The interior ministry announced that the passport of the three cricketers had been given back to them so that they can travel to Qatar.[10] Seven days before the appeal began Mohammad Asif announced that he had withdrawn his appeal because he wanted to understand the charges against him.[11] Butt and Amir announced that their appeals were to continue however the ICC moved the hearing to the UAE. Salman Butt announced that he hoped the appeals would be completed quickly so that he could make a swift return to international cricket and participate in the series against South Africa in October 2010.[12] Their initial appeal against the suspension was rejected on Oct 31, 2010. The hearing was held not to decide whether Amir or Butt were innocent or guilty, but only to decide if their temporary suspensions should be lifted. Butt and Amir hit out at the ICC saying that even though the ruling went against them they weren't informed why.[13]

Sporting world

Cricket

International Cricket Council

Former ICC president Ehsan Mani expressed shock at the revelations and criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board.[14] ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that there was "sufficient evidence" to charge the players. The ICC suspended Asif, Amir and Butt from further international cricket.[15][16]

Pakistan

Yawar Saeed, the Pakistan team manager insisted after the conclusion of the test series that the T20 series and the ODI series would still be played. He also refused to say that Butt should resign as Test captain.[17] PCB president Ijaz Butt maintained that the players were innocent. At the same time, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif pointed out that the spot-fixing controversy was possibly a set-up and that the leaked video contained a certain number of ambiguities.[18]

England and Wales

Some players had reservations about playing a Pakistan team featuring the players involved in controversy. [citation needed]

Australia

Australia captain Ricky Ponting expressed concern over the addition of an Australian victory against Pakistan to a list of more than 80 previous matches under investigation.[19] Australia won the match, despite a large first-innings deficit.

Football

Croydon Athletic F.C.

Croydon Athletic F.C. was bought in 2008 by Mazhar Majeed. The football club was investigated by HM Revenues and Customs due to allegations that Majeed had been using the club for money-laundering purposes, after he had been recorded by an undercover journalist stating that that was the only reason he had bought the club.[20] This led to the manager and his assistant leaving the club after a match on 4 September 2010.[21] Less than a month later on 2 October, the club's chairman David Le Cluse was found dead in a garage in Sutton with a bullet wound to his head; his death is currently under investigation by police.[22]

Governments

Pakistan

Wajid Shamsul Hasan, the Pakistani High Commissioner to the United Kingdom stated his belief that the players in question had been "set up" and were innocent of the charges.[23] He also condemned the ICC for suspending the three Pakistani players in question.[16][23][24] Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, the titular patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told PCB chairman Ijaz Butt to keep him fully informed of developments.[25] Haroon Akhtar, member of the Senate of Pakistan, blamed the PCB for the controversy.[14] Iqbal Mohammad Ali, a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and chairman of the standing committee on sports, called for the removal of the players in question from the team.[26]

Other investigations

The ICC announced that all of Pakistan's test matches post-1985 would be investigated as after 1985 the menace of Match-fixing began to emerge. One test under investigation was a defeat against Australia in January 2010 when Pakistan were leading in a comfortable position but Kamran Akmal dropped three catches and missed an easy run-out of Michael Hussey who was on 33 Hussey went on to score 134 not out. ICC later on cleared Sydney test or didn't pursue to investigate it further due to lack of evidence.[27]

After the spot-fixing scandal emerged Pakistan registered a victory against England in the third ODI and the ICC announced the match was under investigation due to suspicious behavior. The ICC carried out a thorough investigation and the Pakistani team and Players were given the all-clear to continue playing. Speculation about fixing in the third-ODI ended as the investigation closed.[28]

2010 ICC World Twenty20

The ICC announced that a match between South Africa and Pakistan on 10 May 2010 was under investigation for spot-fixing. The ICC anti-corruption unit stated that two players had been questioned and that more details would be given in the next 24 hours. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. Also Pakistan won the match comfortably.[29]

Trial by the ICC

The ICC announced that a tribunal would be held to hear the charges against Amir, Asif, and Butt. The tribunal was held from the 6th of January, 2011 to the 11th.[30] The three men on the tribunal were Michael Beloff, Albie Sachs and Sharad Rao – all with previous experience in sporting trials. Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir objected to the selection of Beloff, though, contending that as the head of the ICC disciplinary committee, Beloff had a conflict of interest in favor the ICC over the three cricketers. This was shown, they claimed, when he voted against lifting their suspensions. Butt's lawyer, Aftab Gul, withdrew from the case because he doubted his client would receive justice.[31] The ICC also said that because the story was broken by News of the World its reporters would feature in the case.[32] At the tribunal's scheduled conclusion, the tribunal's decision was deferred to February 5, 2011, and that while Butt would face additional charges pertaining to the third Test of the England-Pakistan series (where Majeed had made further predictions, which did not come true), Amir and Asif had been acquitted of the newly announced charges.[33]

Outcome

On 5 February 2011, it was announced that the ICC had banned all three players—Butt for ten years, of which five were suspended, Asif for seven years, of which two were suspended, and Amir for five years.[34] The shortened sentences for Butt and Asif were on the condition that the two each "[commit] no further breach of the code and...[participate] under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of anti-corruption education."[34] All three players were allowed to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[34]

In response to the announcement, The Independent said that "the game was at last standing up to its responsibilities,"[35] while The Guardian claimed that "the urgency to deliver a fierce deterrent to players everywhere has outweighed the need to make the punishment fit the crime."[36]

Further allegations (Hameed and Haider)

Pakistani cricketer Yasir Hameed denied the allegations published in News of the World that he had turned down a bookmaker's offer of £100,000 to help fix a Test. Hameed had allegedly told the newspaper that "almost every match" was fixed and criticised the players involved.[37] Yasir Hameed denied the allegations, saying that he thought he was talking to a potential sponsor and only stated what he read on the news.[37] In November 2010, wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider left the Pakistani cricket team before their fifth and decisive one-day game against South Africa, and flew from Dubai (where the series was being held) to London's Heathrow Airport, asking for asylum and claiming that he had been threatened in an attempt to make him throw the game. Haider's Pakistani stipend was suspended by the Pakistani Cricket Board, who expressed disappointment that Haider had left the team and flown to London instead of reporting the threats to the PCB and the ICC's anti-corruption unit.[38]

See also

References

  1. ^ Marks, Vic (2010-08-29). "Pakistan embroiled in no-ball betting scandal against England". guardian.co.uk. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  2. ^ "Two Pakistan players issued notices before scandal". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  3. ^ "Lord's Test at centre of fixing allegations". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-08-28. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  4. ^ "Arrest over Pakistan-England Test cricket 'betting scam'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-08-29. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  5. ^ "Three more arrests in fixing investigation". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  6. ^ "Police say fixing evidence given to prosecutors". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  7. ^ "Second file of evidence passed to CPS". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  8. ^ "Salman Butt appeals against ICC suspension". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  9. ^ "Suspended Pakistan trio's appeals to be heard in Qatar". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  10. ^ "Passports of cricketers Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Aamir, Salman Butt released". International News Network. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  11. ^ "Asif withdraws appeal". UKPA. 2010-10-22.
  12. ^ "Salman Butt keeping hopes alive of return". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-10-16. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  13. ^ Hoult, Nick (2010-11-01). "Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir accuse ICC of 'conspiracy against Pakistan'". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  14. ^ a b "Pakistan stunned at latest fixing claims". Rediff.com. 2010-08-29. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  15. ^ "Evidence sufficient to charge players: ICC chief executive". 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  16. ^ a b "ICC charges three Pakistan players under its corruption code". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  17. ^ "Pakistan manager Saeed expects England tour to continue". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  18. ^ "Part II: Who is the real chat in spot-fixing saga". 2010-09-11. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  19. ^ "Fixing allegations could taint Sydney win - Ponting". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-08-30. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
  20. ^ Slater, Matt. (2010-09-02) BBC Sport - Football - Croydon Athletic at risk after Pakistan betting scandal. BBC News. Retrieved on 2010-09-13.
  21. ^ "Pakistan trio should be banned if guilty says Hasan". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-09-05. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  22. ^ "Boss of Croydon Athletic linked to match-fixing dies". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-10-04. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  23. ^ a b Siddique, Haroon; Hopps, David; Gibson, Owen (2010-09-02). "Pakistan High Commissioner says players innocent". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  24. ^ "ICC's suspension of Pakistan players is 'wrong' – leading diplomat". London: Guardian. 2010-09-03. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  25. ^ "Zardari summons preliminary report on fixing allegations". The Times of India. 2010-08-29. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  26. ^ "Former ICC chief calls for Pakistan team ban". The Huffington Post. 2010-08-03. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  27. ^ VoteUpIndia (2010-10-26). "ICC not to investigate Sydney Test: Lorgat". VoteUpIndia. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  28. ^ "ICC confirm Oval ODI was clean". CricInfo. ESPN. 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
  29. ^ South Africa v Pakistan 2010 World Twenty20 under spot-fixing investigation
  30. ^ Three man tribunal to decide Amir Butt and Asif fate.
  31. ^ Aftab Gul withdraws from Butt's case
  32. ^ NOTW reporters to appear on the case
  33. ^ "Spot-fixing controversy: Tribunal defers spot-fixing verdict till February 5 | Pakistan Cricket News". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  34. ^ a b c "ICC bans Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif & Mohammad Amir". BBC News Online. 5 February 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  35. ^ Brenkley, Stephen (6 February 2011). "ICC lay down the law in bid to fix the fixers". London: The Independent. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  36. ^ Marks, Vic (5 February 2011). "ICC's sanctions on Pakistan trio necessary for sake of cricket". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  37. ^ a b Samiuddin, Osman; Gollapudi, Nagraj (2010-09-05). "Yasir Hameed denies allegations". CricInfo. ESPN. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  38. ^ "Zulqarnain Haider says he wants to 'live in peace'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
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