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Pakistan trio to face criminal charges

Mohammad Amir (left) and Salman Butt (right) will find out on Saturday if they will face ICC sanctions.
Mohammad Amir (left) and Salman Butt (right) will find out on Saturday if they will face ICC sanctions.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Three Pakistan cricket players at the center of a match-fixing scandal will face charges
  • The charges relate to a Test match against England in August 2010
  • It is alleged two of the players purposely bowled "no balls"
  • The ICC will announce the findings of their investigation on Saturday

Three Pakistan cricket players will face criminal charges for their part in last year's match-fixing scandal during a Test series with England, it was announced on Friday.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have charged Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and their agent Mazhar Majeed with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat.

The charges relate to "spot-fixing" allegations made in the wake of a Test match against England in August 2010, when British newspaper The News of the World reported two of the players had been paid to affect their bowling.

"These charges relate to allegations that Mr Majeed accepted money from a third party to arrange for the players to bowl 'no balls'," Simon Clements, head of CPS special crime division, said on the department's website.

We are satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction
--Simon Clements, Crown Prosecution Service
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The four men accused of corruption have all denied the charges.

"We received a full file of evidence on December 7, 2010 and we are satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute," Clements added.

The sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), suspended the accused trio in September pending the results of an independent investigation.

Amir and Butt appealed the decision, but the ICC elected to uphold their suspensions.

The findings of the independent investigation are due to be heard on Saturday February 5 in Qatar, and the ICC have said news of the CPS charges will not influence the outcome of their hearing.

Eighteen-year-old Amir is the youngest bowler to claim 50 Test wickets, six of which came in the August match against England. Pakistan lost the match by an innings and 225 runs.

Butt, a batsman, has played in 33 Test matches since he made his debut for Pakistan in 2003 and scored 1889 runs.

The 26-year-old became captain of the side in 2010 and led his country in a Test series against Australia as well as the tour of England before eventually being replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq in the wake of the scandal.

Asif, a 28-year-old bowler, has previously tested positive for steroids in his career, resulting in a year-long ban from the sport, and was once detained for three weeks after being found in possession of recreational drugs at Dubai airport.