67 replies to this topic

[Daveo]

A man has been arrested in connection with an alleged cricket betting scam centred on the current Test between Pakistan and England at Lord's.

The News of the World claims it gave £150,000 to a middleman who provided details about three "no balls" which later took place when he predicted.

Scotland Yard said a 35-year-old man was being held on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.

Pakistan and England said the game would resume on Sunday as planned.

While there are no allegations that the result of the Test will be affected - or that England players had any knowledge of the alleged scam - BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said the integrity of the sport would be damaged.

"What it does do is make you wonder what is going on in front of you, that is the danger for any sport," he said.

A joint statement issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) read: "No players nor team officials have been arrested in relation to this incident and the fourth npower Test match will continue as scheduled on Sunday.

"As this is now subject to a police investigation neither ICC, ECB, PCB nor the ground authority, the MCC, will make any further comment."

The statement said the ICC, ECB, PCB, along with the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, were assisting the police with their inquiries.

Earlier, Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed told the Associated Press team members had spoken to police at their hotel and were "helping them with their inquiries".

He later said he was shocked by the allegations, as were the team members to whom he had spoken.

The News of the World alleges that Pakistani players were secretly paid to deliberately bowl "no balls" during the Test.

A "no ball" occurs when a bowler oversteps the line behind which balls should be delivered.

The newspaper claims it was given pre-warning of three separate incidents by the Pakistan team.

It said members of its reporting team posed as businessmen and paid a middleman who told them exactly what would happen in the next day's play.

The allegations relate to three "no balls" delivered by Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif on Thursday and Friday.

Speaking from the team hotel in north London, Mohammad Asif said: "I have spoken to the management and they have told us something happened, but not what. The management will tell us more later. We are 100% focused on the match tomorrow."

Although the Test is due to resume this morning, former England player and BBC cricket commentator Phil Tufnell said it would be difficult to see this happen.

"Everything has been brought into question," he said.

"I don't see how they can really come out this morning and play a game in which you don't know what is unfolding in front of your eyes."

Former Pakistan cricket captain Asif Iqbal said he was shocked by the newspaper's claims, while Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, said the allegations could cover "a spectrum of possible offences".

The BBC's Andy Swiss said the allegations involved "very minor, very small details within the match that might seem ridiculously trivial to a lot of people".

Our correspondent added: "That sort of information is worth a huge amount of money in the betting world where you can put bets on the tiniest details within a cricket game.

"This is a difficult situation for cricket and there are going to be some uncomfortable questions for the Pakistan team when the match resumes."

England look close to an innings victory in the Test at Lord's later after taking 14 Pakistan wickets on Saturday.

They are heading for a 3-1 victory in the four-match Test series.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11122388

[GboroRam]

So just as England start to look good, Pakistan look corrupt. Any coincidence?

[Boycie]

Suspect bowling Mushy.

[Hucknall Ram]

Haven't left the team hotel yet this morning,

[derbydan]

sold out there own country for a few grand they should be banned

[Dangerous]

They are as guilty as sin.The three players should be banned for life.This fixing hasnt had an effect on the result,but bowling no balls for money is just where it starts.Match fixing comes next.its soft drugs leading to hard drugs.

[froggg]

shocking stuff....who was it that said cricket was boring:mad:

[Boycie]

I'll bet you I don't know.

[young ram15]

these people should be put down like injured horses

[Joe]

The three no balls were blatant.

Obvious corruption. Such a shame because cricket is one of the few remaining sports with integrity.

I feel sorry for Pakistan fans, knowing that their team sold themselves out for £150,000.

[Boycie]

It's only a pound for each immediate family member though?

Hardly worth it.

(sorry, should be in Trigs joke section really)

[young ram15]

150,000 isn't even a huge amount of money, how much is there match fee

[MorecambeRam]

Its not the first time they`ve been caught cheating the team should be banned for a few years.

[MorecambeRam]

Don`t think its that much YR 2 years ago in India our players donated half their match fees to the victims of the terror attacks over there for a total of 35k.

[young ram15]

yeah i didn't think it was much

[Dangerous]

Pakistan get a very small match fee compared with other countries.This though is irrelavant.It is an honour to play for your country,and to take money for bowling no balls is disgraceful.They should scrap the one day series,it is tainted beyond repair.

[trigger]

they will never scrap it, its too much of a money spinner for them,
all sports where you can bet on the outcome has a small percentage of corruption involved in it somewhere,
everyone has thier price so to speak, but for those who resist tempation
i applaud you!

[young ram15]

i would never sell out my country or my club, I couldn't do it. I have a visceral disgust for these people and a pre requisite for playing sports is to be honourable in a way, which these people obviously arn't

[Hucknall Ram]

"young ram15, post: 79755" said:

i would never sell out my country or my club, I couldn't do it. I have a visceral disgust for these people and a pre requisite for playing sports is to be honourable in a way, which these people obviously arn't

Don't think anyone can say that until you are in offered money to do something. Money brings the worse out of people.

[young ram15]

well some things are more important than money, especially when these people arn't in a situation of financial problems, they are comparativly well off and doing somthing which they love