Mazhar Majeed, a 35-year-old agent, was arrested last night and four Pakistani players gave statements to the police over claims about the Lord's Test.
Pakistan's captain Salman Butt, bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif and wicket keeper Kamran Akmal were all questioned by officers from Scotland Yard, team manager Yawar Saeed confirmed.
Shame and anger best describes the feelings of many Pakistanis to fresh allegations of match fixing by their national cricket stars. When the “News of the World,” a popular British tabloid, exposed a scam on Sunday involving a conspiracy by members of Pakistan’s cricket team to defraud U.K. bookmakers, it left Pakistanis reeling.
“I’m embarrassed to say that I’m Pakistani," said Mustafa, a junior high student in Islamabad.
Samiullah Khan, a 30-year-old computer technician, said he felt personally betrayed. “I am disappointed,” he said. "Our team should hang their heads in shame; they have brought disgrace upon themselves and upon all of us.”
Police inquiry
Local television in Pakistan reported that Scotland Yard detectives had recovered large sums of money from Pakistani players' hotel rooms and seized mobile phones.
Reports have also emerged that the Pakistan team manager had contacted the Syed Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner in London, who was in touch with Scotland Yard.
Pakistan were on course to lose the series as England closed in on an innings victory on Saturday.
At stumps, Pakistan, following-on, were 41 for four in their second innings, having been made to follow-on after they were dismissed for just 74 first time around.
That left them still 331 runs adrift of England's first innings 446 as the home team eyed a victory that would give them a 3-1 win in their last series before begin the defence of the Ashes in Australia in November.
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