Police quiz 'fix' probe cricketers (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Police quiz 'fix' probe cricketers

3:37am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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The three Pakistan cricketers barred from the sport over match-fixing allegations are expected to be questioned by police.

Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were charged under the anti-corruption code of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday and provisionally banned from playing in any match.

The three men have insisted they are innocent but have been charged with "various offences" under Article 2 of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code relating to alleged irregular behaviour during and in relation to the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's last month. They have been "provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges", the ICC said.

The bans follow newspaper allegations that a middleman accepted £150,000 to arrange for Pakistan players to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "We will not tolerate corruption in cricket - simple as that. We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban."

The charges mean the sportsmen are "immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded".

Wajid Hasan, the Pakistani High Commissioner in London, repeated his belief that the cricketers were innocent, and said the ICC had "no business" taking action while a police investigation is under way.

Mr Hasan told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I met the cricketers for two hours, cross-questioned them, got to the bottom of it and concluded that they were innocent and that's what I said to the media."

He said of the ICC: "They have done the wrong thing. When there's a live police inquiry, this takes precedence over both the ICC, civil or regulatory investigations and any disciplinary investigations.

"To take action now is unhelpful, premature and unnecessary considering the players had already voluntarily withdrawn from playing. The ICC had no business to take this action. The ICC is just playing to the public gallery."