Spot Fixing?

[englandmad666]

We are to believe that someone "guessed" correctly when these "no balls" would be bowled....a stato worked out the odds were 1.5 million to one against..also the young leftarmer doesnt bowl no balls, yet when it was "predicted" he would, he wasnt just over he was two feet over, bring a comment from Holding at the time..."wow"...

We are to believe that the cash found in Butts bedroom was his subsistence money...why cash...sounds like a load of political bull to me....the ironic thing, this involves a nation who are totally against gambling, its against the countries religious beliefs..so if found guilty will they face a relgious court and maybe suffer the full weight of Islamic law???......rattan...hand severing,death sentance...it would never happen here but in a fundamental Relgious state...who knows..people have been executed for less...

The young lads I think were deceived and mugged off, but Butt....Sorry but guilty as charged....ban him for life and fine him several hundreds of thousands of pounds...they must make an example of him and hammer him so others will think twice about fixing a game...it smears the good name of the game, and once again its Pakistan who are at the centre of controvsy..who says its not a plot by those who hate all things "western?"....

Well i certainly hope they wont get executed TQTS that would be beyond outrageous.

As for the whole scandal they all knew what they where doing and they should all face life bans, funny how the snake asif still trying to wriggle out of it. He has to be the most pathetic and disgraceful cricketer to ever play the game, he really is garbage and its ashame to see all that talent wasted on him.


One thing that is bothering me is the delayal of the verdict, why drag this out, get these guys sentenced and done with and then we can try and move on, also it would be nice if the ICC took over the PCB because they are a pathetic, disgusting board who had there nerve to try and drag englands name through the dirt. Im still very angry by it all.

[Chris de Burgh]

My worry is that they all get a slap on the wrists and little is done. I hope they act in a way that brings them up as an example to discourage others from fixing but I have the worrying feeling that little will be done and it'll continue to happen until the whole scenario hits a rinse and repeat cycle.

[betterpolo]

I would like them to take the action that will prevent this happening again. If the problem is the insidious influence of bookmakers over Pakistan cricketers then I want to see something done about it. Punishing the players is inevitable - and needed if guilty - but shouldn't be a sticking plaster to cover a chronic wound.

[mikesiva]

If it can be proved that Amir was bullied into it, then there might be a may he can still play. I think that is what happened with Herschaelle Gibbs - Hansie Cronjie admitted bullying Gibbs into it.

Cronje was a real case, wasn't he?

But what disturbed me most about Cronje is how everybody around the world seemed to revere him, and wouldn't tolerate any criticism of him. If he hadn't been caught by the Indian police, we would probably still be subjected to stories telling us how great he was....

When Cronje made that now-notorious declaration that allowed Nasser's England to win a Test match, almost all the commentators were saying what a great chap Cronje was. All except Michael Holding, who said something like: "If this was in Asia, we would all be talking about bookmakers." And to a man, his fellow-commentators jumped on him, and criticised him for being so cynical of an outstanding individual like Cronje. It was okay to cast aspersions about Pakistanis, it seemed, but not Cronje. Even England and Saffer fans complained in great numbers about Holding. In the end, Holding's cynicism was proven right, and a lot of people owed him apologies....

The problem I had with the incident at the time was this: Holding raised a question about Cronje, but he was shouted down. If Cronje had been Pakistani, it would've been a different matter. We can certainly be wise after the event now - thank God for hindsight!

[meninblue]

Cronje's declaration, suspension and warning to international cricketers by every board, recent happenings in county cricket, IPL imply that match fixing is happening in some way or other. In the past it has been proved that cricketers of all teams are involved in it. The only difference being number of Pakistan cricketers in this racket are far more than any other team.

[captaincolly]

The 3 Pakistan players and the agent Mazar Majeed are to be charged by the UK Crown Prosecution Service with conspiracy to cheat during the 4th test at Lords:

"Simon Clements, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said in a statement: "We have decided that Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and their agent, Mazhar Majeed, should be charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and also conspiracy to cheat.
These charges relate to allegations that Mr Majeed accepted money from a third party to arrange for the players to bowl 'no balls' on 26 and 27 August 2010, during Pakistan's Fourth Test at Lord's.

"Mr Majeed has been summonsed to appear for a first hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on 17 March.

"Summonses for the same court date have been issued for the three players and they have been asked to return to this country voluntarily, as they agreed to do in September last year. Their extradition will be sought should they fail to return."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/fe ... ng-scandal

[englandmad666]

The 3 Pakistan players and the agent Mazar Majeed are to be charged by the UK Crown Prosecution Service with conspiracy to cheat during the 4th test at Lords:

"Simon Clements, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said in a statement: "We have decided that Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and their agent, Mazhar Majeed, should be charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and also conspiracy to cheat.
These charges relate to allegations that Mr Majeed accepted money from a third party to arrange for the players to bowl 'no balls' on 26 and 27 August 2010, during Pakistan's Fourth Test at Lord's.

"Mr Majeed has been summonsed to appear for a first hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on 17 March.

"Summonses for the same court date have been issued for the three players and they have been asked to return to this country voluntarily, as they agreed to do in September last year. Their extradition will be sought should they fail to return."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/fe ... ng-scandal

Big trouble for the 3 players now, the CPS will only bring a case such as this forward if it is worth tax payers money and that a prosecution can almost be guranteed. The question is will they be jail sentences.

I get the feeling that the ICC will now also bring back a guilty verdict, these 3 are finished. To be honest asif is a disgrace to cricket anyway but the other two well, you guys will be probably never play the game again either

[Edward Mills Grace]

Big trouble for the 3 players now, the CPS will only bring a case such as this forward if it is worth tax payers money and that a prosecution can almost be guranteed. The question is will they be jail sentences. I get the feeling that the ICC will now also bring back a guilty verdict, these 3 are finished.

The article suggests that the CPS see this as something of a test case, so it might be that they're driven by that rather than certaintly of conviction. Given the timing of this though you can be pretty confident that they know what the ICC's verdict is.

[captaincolly]

The article suggests that the CPS see this as something of a test case, so it might be that they're driven by that rather than certaintly of conviction. Given the timing of this though you can be pretty confident that they know what the ICC's verdict is.

Apparently lawyers acting for the 3 players are trying to have the ICC verdict postponed because they are concerned it may prejudice the CPS criminal case. I agree with you, the CPS must have been almost certain the ICC would deliver a guilty verdict before announcing the planned charges.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricke ... rdict.html

[Making_Splinters]

Gibbs "got away with it" because he did not do what he was asked to, he was asked to score less than 20 and actually got 70 odd in the match.

[ddb]

6.00pm Salman Butt gets ten years of ineligibility, five years of suspended sentence. Mohammad Asif gets a sanction of 7 years, two years of which are suspended. Mohammad Amir gets a sanction of five years' ineligibility.

[mikesiva]

6.00pm Salman Butt gets ten years of ineligibility, five years of suspended sentence. Mohammad Asif gets a sanction of 7 years, two years of which are suspended. Mohammad Amir gets a sanction of five years' ineligibility.

Good....

[laughingdevil]

What a farce

With the "suspended" parts of the sentance if all of them are "good boys" they could all be back in 5 years.

Basically the minimum sentance for all

Pathetic decision.

I hope the ICC appeal

[pompeymeowth]

I wish this wasn't happening. it's so sad to see players throw their careers away so stupidly. Why oh why do people do these stupid things? One can only hope this will deter others, if there is anything good to say about this sorry affair.

[meninblue]

Such cricketers who are a disgrace to cricket should be banned forever.