wonderful Play By Abdul Razzaq Lead To Win Pakistan - My Voice_ My perspective

Tsotsobe's best restricts Pakistan to 203

ABU DHABI: Lanky South African paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe carried his Twenty20 form into the 50-over game with a career-best feat to derail Pakistan to 203 in the first day-night international here on Friday.

The 26-year-old from Eastern Province took 4-27 off his ten tight overs as Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for a mere 46 runs after winning the toss and deciding to bat on a flat Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch.

Tsotsobe, who took five wickets in South Africa's 2-0 win in the Twenty20 series which finished here on Wednesday, rocked the Pakistan middle-order with a burst of three wickets off just nine balls during his second four-over spell.

Tsotsobe's effort backed by disciplined spin bowling by Johan Botha (2-40) put brakes on Pakistan's innings after Mohammad Hafeez (68) and returning Younis Khan (54) put on 114 for the second wicket.

Tsotsobe removed opener Asad Shafiq (19) in the eighth over before Younis -- returning to the side after being cleared by Pakistan Cricket Board last month following a ban on discipline violation, joined Hafeez in a damage repair act.

Hafeez hit seven boundaries during his 84-ball sixth one-day fifty before cutting Botha straight into the hands of Charl Langeveldt. Four overs later, Younis was trapped leg-before by Botha.

Younis hit two boundaries during his 75-ball knock.

Tsotsobe's triple strike followed as he removed Misbah-ul-Haq (14), Shahid Afridi (one) and Abdul Razzaq (two) to complete Pakistan's slide on a similar pattern of Twenty20 matches in which they were restricted to 119 and 120-9.

Tsotsobe's previous best bowling figures were 4-50 against Australia on his one-day debut at Perth last year. AGENCIES 

Butt, Amir leave for ICC hearing

LAHORE: Suspended Pakistani cricketers, Muhammad Amir and Salman Butt, have left for Dubai where they are due to appear before an ICC tribunal in connection with spot-fixing allegations. The duo were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing and violating ICC's anti-corruption code. Pacer Muhammad Asif, who was also provisionally suspended by the ICC, has withdrawn his appeal against the suspension and will not be attending the hearing. Speaking to newsmen at Lahore airport today (Friday), Butt maintained he is innocent. “My lawyers have prepared well for the case. I will be cleared of spot-fixing charges very soon,” he said. Butt’s counsels, Aftab Gul and Khalid Ranjha, hoped that the decision would come in favour of the suspended cricketer. Muhammad Amir also expressed hope that he would soon make a comeback to the national

S Africa not distracted by fixing controversy: Smith

DUBAI: Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, has said his team is focussed on performing its best in the tour of the UAE where it takes on Pakistan in a full series and is not distracted by the spot-fixing controversy that has troubled Pakistan cricket since the tour of England earlier in the year. Smith said he expected Pakistan to be competitive in favourable conditions and called out fans in the UAE to provide the fullest support to the teams. South African team reached Abu Dhabi on Monday morning and will play the tour opener on Tuesday (tomorrow). "I think generally there are always one or two things going on in Pakistan cricket, so they're pretty used to dealing with stuff like that at least from a playing perspective," Smith told Radio 2, a station based in the UAE. "We still expect them to be very competitive on this tour and conditions to suit them. "You can't hide away from what's going on but as a unit we've dealt with this in our society over the years. We're used to adversity and for us it's just about being honest." Smith reposed faith in the ICC in tackling the latest crisis and said he viewed the series as the stage to begin a successful preparation for the World Cup in the subcontinent next year. "The ICC has to control the integrity of the game and it's our responsibility to make the game as competitive as possible. We have to put our faith in the ICC to handle things properly," Smith said. "We've got a lot of exciting guys coming through and it's a great platform for our team to kickstart our summer. This month we take on Pakistan in the UAE and then an exciting series at home against India. It's a very important phase for us in our preparation for the World Cup and we want to go there and be competitive. "It'll be great if the people in the UAE came out and gave us some support. It'll be fantastic." The tour kicks off on October 26 (tomorrow) with the first of two Twenty20 internationals. The teams then play five ODIs and two Tests.

Suresh Raina’s links with bookies disclosed

 MUMBAI: A British newspaper has revealed Indian cricketer Suresh Raina’s links with a bookmaker but the Indiana cricket board on Sunday described the report baseless while the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused to give any comment.

The ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is probing why the Indian Board kept quiet about a report of its player Suresh Raina being seen in the company of a woman linked to an associate of an illegal bookmaker, a media report said in London.

Making it clear that Raina was not suspected of any wrongdoing, 'The Sunday Times', quoting a senior ICC source, said the incident related to India's tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year.

With the heightened security concerns following the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan, the Sri Lankans deputed a former general to look after the Indian team.

CCTV Cameras installed at the Indian team hotel showed that on more than one night Raina was in the company of a woman known to be an associate of a man allegedly linked to a bookmaker.

A report, including the CCTV footage, was submitted by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board to their Indian counterparts.

BCCI keeping quiet on Suresh Raina accompanying a woman allegedly linked to bookies during the Sri Lankan tour as "baseless", saying that she was the agent of the Indian batsman.

Bookies contacted me to select a player: Zia

 KARACHI: During his time at the helm of Pakistan cricket Tauqir Zia was approached by a front man of bookies to select a player who allegedly rigged games, Geo News reported Sunday.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Tauqir Zia made these claims in an interview with an Australian radio channel.

"I was a serving army officer and there's a gentleman who rings me up and said "so and so should be included in the team because he fixes matches and we get money.

"So I said you are threatening a man in uniform...you go to hell and that man is not going to be put in the team. And he never was included in the side."

Zia said the PCB was told before the team played against Australia and England in England in July and August that the International Cricket Council had noticed irregularities in the SMS accounts of six or seven players.

PCB draws up new player rules after ICC warning

LAHORE: Pakistan's cricket board said Monday it had drawn up a new players' code of conduct outlining stricter rules on corruption following sharp criticism from the sport's governing body. Pakistani cricket has been rocked by allegations of spot-fixing during the national team's recent tour of England. The team's tour of Australia in March was also marred by disciplinary problems and match-fixing allegations. The International Cricket Council (ICC) last Wednesday told the PCB it must "uphold a zero tolerance attitude to corruption in sport" and ensure players' integrity. It said Pakistan must prove progress is being made within 30 days, or risk sanctions. Team manager Intikhab Alam said the new code of conduct was a first step towards fulfilling the ICC's recommendations. He said the new code would help the board in dealing with disciplinary and corruption problems. Spot-fixing allegations by a British newspaper tabloid in London this summer resulted in two separate inquiries. The ICC ruled there was no evidence of spot-fixing in the third one-day international between Pakistan and England last month but another inquiry, relating to the Lord's Test against England in August, is pending. Three players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, were provisionally suspended by the ICC after it was alleged they took money from a book-maker to deliberately bowl no-balls in the Test. The trio appealed against the suspension and face an ICC hearing in Doha, Qatar on October 30 and 31. Intikhab Alam, who was replaced as coach after the team's problem-hit tour of Australia in March, took over as manager earlier this month. He revealed few details of the new code, but said it involved stricter rules of behaviour and that players would be barred from addressing media directly. Intikhab said players had also been briefed about their responsibilities in a 90-minute lecture at a training camp in Lahore.. The PCB will also implement strict rules in domestic matches by which players will not be allowed to use mobile phones and unauthorised people will be barred from players' dressing rooms, said Alam. He added the new code would be given to players in the next couple of days. "The players are required to sign the document before we leave to play against South Africa," said Alam of the series against South Africa starting in the United Arab Emirates from October 26. Pakistan play two Twenty20, five One-day Internationals and two Tests on the tour.

PCB forms anti-corruption committee on ICC's guidelines

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has constituted a seven-member committee to remove corruption from the game, in line with instructions given by the International Cricket Council (ICC). PCB chief Ijaz Butt will head the committee which will have authority to take immediate action against any player or official found to be involved in corruption. The seven person committee also includes PCB’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Wasim Bari and GM Cricket Operations Zakir Khan. ICC, earlier this month, issued a strict warning to PCB to improve its governance and implement a series of measures within 30 days and get a nod of approval from the Pakistan Task Force, or face sanctions

Pakistan's Irfan suspended for three matches

NEWDEHLI: Pakistan defender Muhammad Irfan was Tuesday suspended for three matches for violent play during a classification game against South Africa in the Commonwealth Games field hockey.

He was suspended for bringing down South African forward Marvin Harper in an ill-tempered clash at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium.

Irfan was charged under a level 2 offence of FIH's code of conduct which deals with physical assault without causing serious injury. He was also red-carded by the on-field umpires for the rough tackle.

Pakistan have no more matches left at the Games, having finished sixth after losing to South Africa 3-2 via a golden goal.AGENCIES

Pakistan bags two golds at the C'Wealth Games

NEW DELHI: Two Pakistani wrestlers, Azhar Hussain and Mohammad Inaam, won gold medals in different categories at the Commonwealth Games Sunday. Azhar Hussain defeated Nigerian Wilson in the 55 kilogram category and won the first gold medal for Pakistan, while Mohammad Inaam won the second gold medal when he defeated Indian wrestler Anoj Kumar.

ICC to update cricketers on anti-corruption before Cup

BANGALORE: Players and support staff will be updated on anti-corruption methods before next year's World Cup in the Indian sub-continent, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday. "It is absolutely vital for our flagship event and the future prosperity of cricket that we maintain public confidence in the integrity of the game," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement after a meeting of the 2011 World Cup Central Organising Committee (COC). "Repeating the education and awareness to players and support staff will leave no room for doubt. We are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to corruption." Cricket is battling a spot-fixing controversy which led to the provisional suspension of three Pakistani players and shed light on the huge illegal betting industry in the Indian sub-continent. ICC President Sharad Pawar, who chaired the meeting, promised top class facilities and assured stadiums would be ready by the end of this year. "We have confirmed our deadline date for the completion of all stadia construction work to be 30 November 2010 and all playing facilities to be match-ready by 31 December 2010." Lorgat said ICC had been assured that proper safety and security measures would be put in place for the event. The COC also announced that the Indian company which organised the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony will do the same for the World Cup which India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will jointly host from Feb. 19 to April 2. AGENCIES

Pakistan thrash Scotland by 3-0 in opening match

NEWDEHLI: Pakistan made a winning start to their campaign in the Commonwealth Games, thrashing Scotland 3-0 in their opening Pool A match here on Tuesday. Shakeel Abbasi opened the scoring for Pakistan in the 20th minute before ace forward Rehann Butt slammed a goal from the top of the circle 10 minutes from half-time at a near-empty Major Dhyan Chand stadium. Muhammad Imran made it 3-0 when he converted the first of the four penalty corners that Pakistan earned in the match in the 43rd minute. Pakistan, who finished last at the same venue in the World Cup earlier this year, seemed to have left memories of that botched campaign firmly behind them as they took control of the proceedings right from the first whistle. The defeated finalists of the 2006 Melbourne Games, Pakistan next face Malaysia before taking on hot favourites Australia and arch-rivals India. Butt said his side was relieved to have crossed the first hurdle with ease. "We are really pleased that we could start off with a victory," the 30-year-old said. "We have some tough matches coming up against Australia and India and the win today will boost our confidence." Butt was disappointed with the poor attendance at the stadium Tuesday but hoped more people would turn up for Pakistan's match against the home team. "A player always gives his best when there is a good crowd to cheer the good moves. May be the early timings and the heat kept the crowd away. But I am sure there will be many who will come to watch us play India." In a Pool B match played earlier, New Zealand men spanked Trinidad and Tobago 7-1 with Andrew Hayward and Blair Hilton slamming in two goals each. Hugo Inglis, Hayden Shaw and Nick Haig were the other scorers for the Black Sticks while Wayne Legerton netted the lone goal for Trinidad and Tobago.AGENCIES

Salman Butt submits suspension review plea to ICC

London: A spokesman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Salman Butt’s appeal to review his suspension has been received by the world cricket body.

While talking to SAMAA, ICC spokesman Sami-ul-Hassan said that Salman Butt’s appeal against temporary suspension was received on Wednesday.

He added that earlier Salman Butt submitted a plea through his counsel, but now his personal appeal in an individual capacity has reached the ICC. The spokesman added further that individual appeals of Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir have not yet been received.

After the notorious spot fixing scandal exposed by a UK tabloid weekly, ICC had suspended Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir temporarily

Banned players can still appeal to courts

LONDON: Any player banned for life under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption code can still attempt to have the sanction overturned by a civil court, according to a leading British sports lawyer. Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been suspended by the ICC following an investigation into corruption allegations. The charges carry a maximum sanction of a life ban if upheld by an independent tribunal. Adam Morallee, a partner in the London law firm Mishcon de Reya, said there were still several options open to any player faced with an ICC ban. In a telephone interview with a British news agency, Morallee said the first non-ICC avenue of appeal for any cricketer charged with an anti-corruption offence was the independent Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). He could also attempt to appeal to a court in the country in which the alleged offence was committed, or to a court in his home country. "These governing bodies are subject to the laws of the various countries. They are just the same as any company or organisation, subject to the same rules and regulations as everyone else," Morallee said. "Other entities try their best to close their world in and tell everyone only we can make decisions about us. That's just not the case." In 1997 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was forced to cut its four-year doping ban for first offenders in half after a series of costly legal battles in European courts which took the view that the longer ban constituted restraint of trade. Two German track and field athletes successfully applied for reinstatement halfway through four-year bans. The ICC's anti-corruption code stipulates that players must submit to the authority of the world governing body, its judicial commission and to CAS. Furthermore, it says players cannot initiate proceedings "in any court or other forum that are inconsistent with the foregoing submissions to the jurisdiction of the anti-corruption Tribunal and the CAS". However, Morallee said that in practice players could appeal to whomever they liked. "The ICC will have some very good defences in proceedings if a player tries to challenge their decision in the courts. They will say a player has effectively signed away his life to this tribunal, and therefore is barred from bringing proceedings in another court. In effect, he has lost and he can't do anything about it," he said. "But a national court could theoretically grant jurisdiction and then, if the punishment was grave, rule that a life ban was an unjustifiable restraint of trade, the punishment was far too harsh and, therefore, disproportionate." Under this scenario, Morallee said, any national cricket board would be "between a rock and a hard place". "The ICC will say he is banned from international cricket and a court will say he should be allowed to play," he said. "It will not be easy for a national association to reconcile those differences.

GEOiNEWS: PPP is ‘one man show’: Naheed Khan

GEOiNEWS: PPP is ‘one man show’: Naheed Khan: "..."

Shoaib Akhtar tampered with ball in final ODI

LONDON: A British newspaper claims Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar tampered with the ball in the final one-day international against England on Tuesday.

The pictures shows Akhtar running his left thumb along the ball's seam before dropping the ball on the ground and standing on it with his spiked right boot.

The pictures were taken in the 41st over of England's innings in Southampton as Shoaib prepared to bowl to Paul Collingwood.

It is not the first time Shoaib, 35, has come under the spotlight at the Rose Bowl.

Four years ago, he was filmed by Sky cameras flicking at the ball with his thumb during a one-day international here against England.

On that occasion Shoaib was cleared but was warned about his behaviour after being accused of tampering with the ball during a Test match in Zimbabwe in late 2002.

The following year he was banned for two ODIs and fined 75 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of the same crime against New Zealand in Sri Lanka. Monitoring Desk

ECB demand PCB full apology for fixing allegations

SOUTHAMPTON: The England and Wales Cricket Board demanded on Thursday a ‘full and unreserved apology’ from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt for his allegations that England players had engaged in match-fixing. "Mr Butt has been advised that if a satisfactory response is not received, legal proceedings will be commenced against him without further notice," an ECB statement said. The threat follows an interview given by Butt to a private television channel after England lost the third one-day international against Pakistan at the Oval last Friday. Butt said there had been “loud and clear talk in bookies' circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose (Friday's) match". In a BBC radio interview before Monday's fourth match at Lord's, Butt said he had been merely repeating information he had received from bookmakers. His comments came after the International Cricket Council said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistan's scoring pattern at the Oval after receiving information from a British newspaper. Thursday's ECB statement said a letter from the board and the Professional Cricketers' Association had been sent to Butt. "The letter seeks a full and unreserved apology," the statement said. Pakistan's acrimonious tour of England and Wales concluded on Wednesday when England clinched the five-match 50 overs series at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered in the fourth test at Lord's.

Chennai sneak into semi-finals

Dhoni clears the ropes on Wednesday.

Chennai Super Kings set up an all-Indian Premier League semi-final against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Champions League Twenty20 after a tense 10-run victory over the Warriors.
The Warriors, the South African Pro20 champions, also qualified for the final four but will be disappointed not to have won a low-scoring encounter in Port Elizabeth.
After losing the toss and being sent in to field, the Warriors managed to restrict the visitors to 136 for six, thanks largely to Justin Kreusch (three for 19). Michael Hussey (50) top-scored for Chennai.
But the Warriors failed to close out the victory on a sluggish pitch where captain Davey Jacobs top-scored in a losing cause.
Batting first, the IPL champions made a promising start with Murali Vijay and Hussey putting on 63 for the first wicket inside nine overs.
The breakthrough came when Kreusch went straight through the defences of the India opener for 35.
Another promising Indian batsman, the in-form Suresh Raina (six), seemed to be struggling and Colin Ingram put him out of his misery with a spectacular forward diving catch on the boundary.
Two more quick wickets then fell, including that of Hussey shortly after he brought up his 50 from 38 balls, as the Super Kings stuttered to 99 for four with five overs remaining.
Thanks largely to the batting of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (31 not out), Chennai went on to set a victory target of 137.
Ashwell Prince (nine) fell early in the Warriors' run chase thanks to Justin Kemp's good reflexes at slip.
Jacobs and Ingram kept the hosts in the hunt until the skipper went for 32, while Ingram (17) quickly followed as the Warriors slipped to 63 for three.
Kreusch and Mark Boucher ensured the Warriors would safely pass the 109-run mark that guaranteed qualification for the semi-final by putting on a 44-run stand.
They each fell on 25 in the 18th over bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin (three for 24) as the hosts came up short, but did at least claim the consolation of a clash with South Australia in the next stage.

England v Pakistan 5th ODI Commentary

England v Pakistan 5th ODI Commentary
Over 29 Bresnan 1-0-0-0-0-1: 106-6 - Every dot ball sends the required rate rocketing, and there are far too many of those coming now for Pakistan's liking. Bresnan's managed to drag his figures back quite well here after that expensive start. He's back down to five an over now.

live score pakistan vs england

104/6 after 28 - Pakistan
Toss: England won the toss and elected to bat first
Venue: Southampton - Rose Bowl
Fifth and final ODI

Pakistan - 1st Innings
Batting
Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls
Kamran Akmal	lbw Wright	41	53
Mohammad Hafeez	c Collingwood b Broad	29	42
Asad Shafiq	c Davies b Broad	0	1
Mohammad Yousuf	b Swann	20	43
Fawad Alam	b Swann	1	5
Umar Akmal	not out	9	22
Shahid Afridi	b Swann	0	1
Abdul Razzaq	not out	0	1
Extras		2lb 2wd
Total	(28 overs)	104/6

England
Bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts
Tim Bresnan	5	0	27	0
James Anderson	6	1	26	0
Stuart Broad	6	1	21	2
Luke Wright	6	0	16	1
Graeme Swann	5	0	12	3

  FOW: 63/1 (Hafeez), 63/2 (Shafiq), 80/3 (K Akmal), 83/4 (Alam), 104/5 (Yousuf), 104/6 (Afridi)

England - 1st Innings
Batting
Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls
Andrew Strauss	c K Akmal b Akhtar	25	35
Steven Davies	st K Akmal b Hafeez	17	19
Jonathan Trott	b Akhtar	3	6
Ian Bell	b Afridi	28	52
Paul Collingwood	b Gul	46	71
Eoin Morgan	not out	107	101
Luke Wright	b Akhtar	1	4
Tim Bresnan	not out	18	12
Extras		5wd 5lb
Total	(50 overs)	256/6

Pakistan
Bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts
Shoaib Akhtar	10	0	40	3
Abdul Razzaq	3	0	26	0
Mohammad Hafeez	9	1	40	1
Umar Gul	10	1	54	1
Saeed Ajmal	8	0	50	0
Shahid Afridi	10	0	40	1

  FOW: 31/1 (Davies), 46/2 (Trott), 47/3 (Strauss), 106/4 (Bell), 199/5 (Collingwood), 202/6 (Wright)

South Africa call up Ingram to one-day squad

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa named batsman Colin Ingram in their squad on Tuesday for the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan next month. The 25-year-old Ingram has shone for Eastern Cape Warriors in domestic one-day competitions to earn his first taste of international cricket. Slow left-arm spinner Robin Peterson was recalled but there was no place in the 15-man squad for opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs, left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe or experienced wicketkeeper Mark Boucher Boucher was named in the test squad to play Pakistan, along with left-arm pace bowler Wayne Parnell who returns from injury in place of all-rounder Ryan McLaren. "The next ICC World Twenty20 is 18 months away and this also provides us the opportunity to look at several younger players," convenor of selectors Andrew Hudson said in a statement. "We only have a relatively small number of ODIs before the World Cup and it is our intention to go in with our strongest combination in all these matches." South Africa host Zimbabwe for two T20 matches and three one-day internationals between Oct. 8-22 and then play Pakistan in a T20 game, five one-dayers and two tests in the United Arab Emirates from Oct. 27-Nov. 24. Squads Test squad to play Pakistan: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. ODI squad to play Zimbabwe and Pakistan: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Pro20 squad to play Zimbabwe: Johan Botha (capt), Loots Bosman, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Heino Kuhn, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Juan Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe. Pro20 squad to play Pakistan: Johan Botha (capt), Loots Bosman, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Juan Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Sania out of Tashkent Open first round

TASHKENT: India's Sania Mirza blew two match points to go down 1-6, 6-4, 5-7 against the 175th-ranked Russia's Ekaterina Bychkova in the first round of the Tashkent Open tennis here Tuesday. Sania, partnering Marai Elena Camerin of Italy, will start her doubles campaign here Wednesday. Sania, ranked 125, and fresh from her doubles win at Guangzhou, arrived here late Monday night. Watched by husband Shoaib Malik, the 23-year-old Indian looked rusty in the first set, going down in less than 30 minutes. She found her rhythm in the second set and rallied from 2-4 down to make it a set all. Bychkova also helped her cause by committing five double faults. In the decider, Sania swiftly moved to a 5-2 lead. She had two match points in the 11th game despite dropping serve in the eighth but failed to take advantage of this. Bychkova then broke Sania in 10th and the 12th games to take the set and the match. In in the 12th game, Sania had an oppurtunity to force a tiebreak but instead she served two double faults. Bychkova had earlier defeated Sania at Bali in 2005

Match-fixing: Proteas concerned about Pakistan series

LONDON: South Africa's cricketers have such deep reservations about playing against Pakistan in their scheduled series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month that several senior players are considering whether to make themselves unavailable for selection. The Proteas are due to play five ODIs and three test matches as well as a brace of T20s, the second of which was agreed to by Cricket South Africa to help with flood relief in the stricken nation. "To say we are reluctant is an understatement," one senior player told Telegraph Sport. "Nobody knows what the hell is going in Pakistani cricket and we feel that playing such a high profile series right now - especially in the middle east - is asking for trouble. "Maybe it's time for the ICC to step in, or for Pakistan to withdraw from the international game for a year until the mess can be cleaned up and people can start to believe in the game and develop a bit of trust," the player said. The SA Cricketers Association chief executive, Tony Irish, admitted that "many players" had expressed their concerns to him about the tour but was, for the moment, stoically maintaining a diplomatic stance. "The fact that there are now further incidents under investigation is not good news. This all needs to be dealt with urgently in order to ensure that a heavy cloud of suspicion and doubt doesn't hang over our series against Pakistan," Irish said. Asked whether he was aware that some senior players were extremely reluctant to participate in the tour, Irish said: "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Pakistan's 'withdrawal' from international cricket may, of course, happen involuntarily anyway. With the ECB having ruled itself out of acting as a 'home' venue in the immediate future and the UAE financially unsustainable, the PCB is rapidly running out of options - not to mention willing opponents. Last week Zimbabwe was even considering offering Harare and Bulawayo as venues for Pakistan to stage 'home' games with ZC cricket committee chairman and former national captain Alistair Campbell suggesting that staging international cricket in the country before the country's scheduled return to test cricket in May next year was "a good idea." Zimbabwe is still scheduled to tour Pakistan for a five-match series of one-dayers to raise money for flood relief in January. After Saturday's allegations concerning the third one-dayer at The Oval, however, he was forced to admit that even Zimbabwe Cricket, as desperate as it is to shed its pariah status and reacquaint itself with all of the major cricket playing nations, was being forced to "think again" about its offer. Monitoring Desk

PCB criticizes response to match-fixing row

LONDON: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accused the world governing body on Saturday of mishandling fresh corruption allegations levelled against the national team following the third one-day international against England.

It called for further details after International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat said Friday's match was being investigated following information from a British newspaper alleging a suspicious scoring pattern in Pakistan's innings.

"The PCB is extremely perturbed by the recent allegations of corruption in the third ODI between England and Pakistan," a PCB statement said.

"PCB regrets the way these allegations have been handled as being a full member of ICC it only came to know through media that investigations will be conducted by ICC. PCB feels that ICC should repose more confidence in its members."

The PCB said it had asked the ICC to provide more details about allegations in The Sun newspaper that bookmakers knew details about Pakistan's innings before the match began.

Pakistan won the third game in the five-match series by 23 runs.

An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement said chairman Giles Clarke had written to the ICC seeking assurances it had no evidence which could result in charges or suspensions to players in the current series.

The series concludes with matches at Lord's on Monday and Southampton on Wednesday.

"No substantive evidence has been shared with ECB or PCB at this stage," the statement said after a board meeting on Saturday.

"The ECB board noted the ICC is not stating as fact that anything untoward has occurred nor has yet been proven in relation to the third ODI between England and Pakistan."

"Until ICC substantiate that any allegations are correct no further action can be taken."

The latest controversy follows provisional ICC suspensions for Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

The trio returned home after newspaper reports of premeditated no-balls in the fourth test against England at Lord's last month. They have said they are innocent.

British police, who are also investigating the spot-fixing allegations, questioned a fourth player, Wahab Riaz, last week.

Lorgat said a source had told The Sun "a certain scoring pattern would emerge during certain stages of the match".

"Broadly speaking, that information appeared to be correct," Lorgat said in a statement.

"We therefore feel it is incumbent upon us to launch a full inquiry into this particular game, although it is worth pointing out at this stage that we are not stating as fact that anything untoward has occurred."

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi told a Pakistani sports channel that he was surprised by the reports.

"I just get this feeling there is an attempt to bring the team under pressure." Afridi said.

"If anyone has any evidence that there was anything wrong in the match it should be presented first before allegations are made. It adds to the pressure on the players." Iqbal Mohammad, chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sports, asked why the ICC had not reacted once it had prior information that there would be spot-fixing.

"I get this feeling now there is a definite conspiracy to damage and isolate Pakistan cricket," he told Reuters.

"Without anything being proven first I don't understand what prompted the ICC to issue a press release."

Pakistan Sports Minister Aijaz Jakhrani said the government would not take action unless there was clear evidence against a player.

"The ICC has the power and an anti-corruption unit and they should go ahead and use that," Jakhrani told the Indian news channel CNN-IBN. "If they get any proof then we will definitely look into it.

England board to discuss corruption probe

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will meet on Saturday to discuss an ICC investigation into possible corruption during Friday's one-day international against Pakistan at the Oval. The International Cricket Council said on Saturday it is investigating the match after receiving information from a British newspaper alleging a suspicious scoring pattern in Pakistan's innings. Pakistan won the third game of the five-match series by 23 runs. "The ECB is seeking clarification and details from the ICC and the ECB board will meet later today to discuss the matter," the board said in a statement on Saturday. Earlier ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the investigation followed a report in the Sun newspaper which said bookmakers knew details of Pakistan's innings before the match began. "A source informed The Sun newspaper that a certain scoring pattern would emerge during certain stages of the match and, broadly speaking, that information appeared to be correct," Lorgat said in a statement. "We therefore feel it is incumbent upon us to launch a full enquiry into this particular game although it is worth pointing out at this stage that we are not stating as fact that anything untoward has occurred. "The ICC maintains a zero-tolerance approach to corruption. Any player or official found guilty of an offence will face the full rigour of our robust Anti-Corruption Code so that we can ensure the integrity of the sport is maintained." PAKISTAN TRIO SUSPENDED Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have returned home after they were provisionally suspended by the ICC following newspaper reports of premeditated no-balls in the fourth test against England at Lord's last month. British police, who are also investigating the spot-fixing allegations, questioned a fourth player, Wahab Riaz, last week. Pakistan Sports Minister Aijaz Jakhrani said the government would not take action unless there was clear evidence against a player. "The ICC has the power and an anti-corruption unit and they should go ahead and use that," Jakhrani told the Indian news channel CNN-IBN. "If they get any proof then we will definitely look into it." He added that if the government had cracked down on corruption in the past the recent scandals would not have happened. "If we had made some harsh decisions in the past it would not have happened. If we had taken some harsh decisions young players would not dare to do something wrong," he added. "This is the time when we have to take some tough decisions. This time we will not spare anybody." Jakhrani said he was also unhappy with the role of team management and felt they were not strict enough. "This is the thing management has to do. Access to players should not be easy and mobile phones should not be available to the players when they are playing.

ICC to sit back until Scotland Yard finishes probe

 NEW DELHI: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said that no leniency would be given to the players involved in corruption nor such request has been made while ICC president Sharad Pawar said that no compromise would be made on the supremacy of the game and the ICC would take aany action only after the Scotland Yard completes its investigations.

Sharad Pawar held talks at his home in New Delhi with Ijaz Butt on Thursday to discuss allegations that Pakistan players were paid to bowl deliberate no-balls during a match in England last month.

The ICC chief vowed the regulatory body would "maintain the sanctity" of the game amid Pakistan's spot-fixing betting scandal.

"We will never tolerate any nonsense or corruption in the game of cricket. We want to maintain the sanctity of cricket," Pawar, who is also India's agriculture minister, told reporters after the 90-minute talks.

Pakistan players Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt have all written to the ICC saying they will defend themselves over disciplinary action brought against them, their lawyers confirmed this week.

Butt said they would remain suspended until a probe by the Scotland Yard was completed.

"The matter is under investigation. Until that investigation is completed, we cannot comment on it," he said. "The ICC has suspended the players. Unless the suspension is removed, they cannot play."

Replying to a question, Pawar said that the PBC is fully cooperating with the ICC.

Pakistan may lose neutral UK matches

Pakistan's cricket future has grown significantly more clouded after it emerged that English administrators may rule out further neutral matches in Britain. Test skipper Salman Butt and seam bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif returned home on Friday after they were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following allegations of deliberate no-balls in last month's Test at Lord's as part of a betting scam. The claims have sparked an international furore and vastly overshadowed the subsequent action on the field. All the suspended trio have been interviewed by British police and Pakistan seamer Wahab Riaz, still in the one-day squad, is due to be questioned by detectives next week. While ICC and police investigations continue, the dual effect of negative headlines and poor gate receipts has pushed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) towards blocking the use of their venues for more matches to follow Pakistan's series against Australia earlier this year. This would leave the Pakistani team with nowhere else to play "home" fixtures other than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where they are scheduled to meet South Africa next year. The ECB had harboured thoughts of hosting matches between Pakistan and India in the British Isles, but those plans, alongside more modest ones to host a one day series between the Pakistanis and Sri Lanka, have now been shelved. "Nobody is thinking about that one any more," an ECB official told London's Sunday Telegraph. Although a number of figures including Australian captain Ricky Ponting have urged the international community to not shun Pakistan for the alleged corruption of four players, it seems inevitable that the country will be treated harshly. Despite the fact, security problems and the disastrous consequences of recent flooding have left Pakistan in more need of support than ever. Gone is much of the goodwill that allowed the scheduling of the Tests against Australia, dubbed the "spirit of cricket series" by an optimistic ICC earlier in the year. Pakistan's torturous tour of England goes on, meanwhile, with Captain Shahid Afridi arguing that there was still time to salvage some respect from the rubble. "We all want to go home with respect," said Afridi, ahead of the second one-day international at Headingley on Sunday. "We want to play some good cricket and get some victories. "Yesterday (Friday) the performance was much better, not 100 per cent, but I was quite happy with the efforts from the boys." But he admitted it was difficult to remain upbeat with such a pall hanging over the squad. "We all know we are playing in a very tough situation, but we are trying to forget everything that is going on. "It's not easy, but everyone is looking to us and we need to keep our image."

Pakistan ready to play 2nd ODI in Headingley

LONDON: Pakistan will play its second ODI match out of a five matches series in Headingley today (Sunday). Both teams have reached Leeds. Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, termed the defeat in the first match as sorrowful. He has said that Pakistan lost by 24 runs owing to irresponsible batting. Afridi added that after the spot fixing scam, Pakistan's bowling has been weakened; taking advantage, England succeeded to make a big score.

Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi set to create history at the US Open

KARACHI: The Pakistani nation finally has something to cheer about, as their tennis ace Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi made history at the last Grand Slam of the year by becoming the first man from the country to make it to the finals of a Grand Slam event.

The Lahore born 30-year old has made it to the finals of both the doubles and mixed doubles event, producing a stunning display of tennis along with his partners Rohan Bopanna and Kveta Peschke.

It has been a truly memorable week for Aisam-Ul-Haq and India’s Rohan Bopanna, as they finally made an impact on the tennis world after having easily their best season at the international level, winning some events whilst making it to the quarterfinals at the biggest stage of them all, Wimbledon, where only an injury to the Pakistani quashed their dreams.

However, they have redeemed themselves big time at the Arthur Ashe Stadium and that was visible as they trounced some of the biggest pairs in the game, before disposing off Argentine pair of Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (7-5) and 6-4.



This is the best ever performance for both players individually as well as a pair ever since they started playing together around two years ago.



The incredible aspect about the pair is that they belong to countries that have fought three wars and have a bitter history - to say the least - across the Wagah border.



The duo is a symbol of hope and peace, and if they win, they are set to be wild celebrations across Wagah and for once some more than a billion people will be united in a moment of triumph.



The two have been great buddies of the court and have brushed aside the bitterness that prevails; they have been extremely lucky that their games complement each other, and above all, they have proven to the rest of the world that the two nations can have love and tolerance for each other only if politics are kept aside.



With their golden run, they have proved to the poverty-stricken people of the region that they can touch the sky if they unite and spread across message of love, peace and tranquillity.



The duo was quietly confident before leaving for the United States. Aisam-Ul-Haq had remarked then that he and his partner were up for something very special and they sure have done that.



They were finally rewarded for their consistent performances, winning a berth amongst the seeds for the event; they are currently placed at number 15 in the ATP doubles team rankings.



While India has had many outstanding doubles pairs like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, Pakistan has struggled to make an impact at either the singles or doubles event.



Aisam-Ul-Haq is easily the best player to represent Pakistan on the ATP circuit and has proven that anything can be achieved with hard work and determination.



He has an impeccable demeanour off and on the court, and is already being hailed as a hero in the country as he continues breaking records at a time when Pakistan’s more esteemed and revered cricketing team lets the nation down with their spate of controversies and abysmal on-field performances.



He hails from a tennis background and he and his sister have the unique record of being one of the few pairs of siblings to have represented their country at the Davis Cup and Federation Cup, the country level competitions for men and women.

Essex police clear Kaneria over betting allegations

KARACHI: Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has been cleared by Essex police of betting during an English county match last season, his lawyer said.

"The police have cleared Danish as they didn't find any concrete evidence to support the allegations," Furqan Anwar told a foreign news agency on Wednesday.



Kaneria, who has played 61 tests and taken 261 wickets, was questioned by police investigating allegations two Essex players placed bets on their Pro-40 match against Durham last September.



The police did not name the players but media reported they were 29-year-old Kaneria and former England Under-19 pace bowler Mervyn Westfield, 22, who was released by Essex last month.



Both players denied the allegations.



Pakistan cricket was hit by a spot-fixing and betting scandal this month when three players -- test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif -- were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for their alleged involvement in the scam.



Scotland Yard and the ICC anti-corruption unit are investigating the case and all three have been questioned at Kilburn police station in London.



Kaneria had been allowed by police to play for Essex this season until Sept. 15 while they conducted their investigations into the betting allegations.



Kaneria said he would not make any comments on the case and was just relieved to be cleared of any charges.

Afridi facing tough task in boosting Pakistan

CARDIFF: Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi admitted he had a job on his hands to raise the morale of his scandal-hit side after they were bowled out for just 89 by England in a thumping Twenty20 loss. Pakistan were dismissed for their lowest Twenty20 score in 40 matches at this level at Sophia Gardens here on Tuesday as England won by six wickets to wrap up a 2-0 series win with a mammoth 36 balls to spare. World Twenty20 champions England, who completed a 3-1 Test series win over Pakistan last month, will now look for fresh success when the teams meet in the first of five one-day internationals at Chester-le-Street, northeast England, on Friday. "We were very bad, inexperienced and immature from my side and from all the batsmen," Afridi told reporters. "I think we played very bad cricket. "It will be a big challenge to compete in the one-dayers, but we have some time," he added. "Me, my coach (Waqar Younis) and the team, we will sit together and talk." Pakistan's tour has been overshadowed by a 'spot-fixing' scandal that has seen Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif all suspended by the International Cricket Council after allegedly conspiring to deliberately bowl no-balls during last month's fourth Test at Lord's. But Afridi said off-field problems could not account for Pakistan's form. "We are coming through a bad situation, but as professionals we should take that from our mind and focus on our cricket. "At this stage I know our morale is very down. It is down day by day, and game by game. But one victory and it will be very high. "I just want one victory. I'm not letting my team down like this, not in the one-dayers," Afridi added. But he conceded the loss of the suspended trio had hit Pakistan hard. "I made some plans as a captain, I knew Salman Butt was my opener and key player, and Asif and Amir. "Everything has changed as a captain for me, but inshallah (God willing) I will bring my team up." Victory, built on seamer Tim Bresnan's man-of-the-match winning return of three wickets for 10 runs in 3.4 overs, saw England to a seventh straight Twenty20 success - equalling the record for consecutve international victories in this format shared by South Africa and Pakistan. "In this form of the game it can be tough to win consecutively," said England Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood. "It just takes one performance from the opposition to take it away from you. "To have that 'World Cup', you can have added pressure on you as well. "But the way we've played over the last two games, the boys are enjoying that added pressure," added Collingwood, who led England to a five-wicket win over Pakistan here on Sunday.

Afridi wants focus back on Pakistan action

CARDIFF: Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi said he hoped his side could now focus on their cricket rather than bat away a slew of 'fixing' allegations after their return to international duty ended in defeat.

World Twenty20 champions England beat Pakistan by five wickets in the first of a two-match Twenty20 series here on Sunday, holding their opponents to just 126 for four.

This was Pakistan's first fixture since Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were suspended by the International Cricket Council after newspaper allegations the trio were involved in a betting scam that saw no-balls deliberately bowled in last week's fourth Test at Lord's.

"We have to play to cricket, we don't take these things with us (on to the field)," Afridi told reporters.

Afridi was encouraged by the way Pakistan, with the leg-spinner himself taking two for 27, sparked an England collapse from 42 for one to 62 for five before an unbroken stand of 67 between Eoin Morgan (38 not out) and man-of-the-match Michael Yardy (35 not out) saw his side defeated.

"The way my boys played I am very happy. I know it's not a perfect total but the way our boys played was good," Afridi explained.

"At one time it looked like we were going to win this game. But the way Morgan and Yardy played, they did very well," said the all-rounder, who last
year led Pakistan to World Twenty20 glory in England.

Afridi, looking ahead to Tuesday's second Twenty20 in Cardiff and the subsequent five one-dayers against England, added: "We are very confident and inshallah (god willing) you will see us play some good cricket."

And he said boosting the confidence of his players would not be a problem for either him or coach Waqar Younis.

"This is my job and the coach's job to lift the morale and keep the guys in high spirits."

But he admitted: "After what has been going on for a week or ten days, it (the situation) has been very difficult."

A smiling Afridi insisted none of his players had bought Sunday's News of the World, saying: "No-one buy, no-one buy".

There had been concerns Pakistan might encounter a hostile reception from spectators but they were well-received by a sporting crowd of just under 11,000 and a delighted Afridi said: "It was good, the people enjoyed the game. We got some good support as well."

England captain Paul Collingwood insisted the controversy raging around Pakistan, stoked by fresh allegations on Sunday, had not distracted his team in any way.

"We were absolutely 100 percent focused on the game."

He added he could understand why some fans might be losing faith in the integrity of cricket.

"Of course I do. We all know we've got to get to the bottom of this and we'll do anything as players, or management, commentators, umpires to eradicate this from the game. It's as simple as that."

Sunday's match was England's first Twenty20 fixture since they beat Australia in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados in May.

"I'm absolutely delighted," said Collingwood.

"It was so nice to get the guys together because it's been a few months since some very fond memories and that success in the Caribbean."

England have dropped Kevin Pietersen from both their limited overs squads even though the admittedly out of form batsman was named man of the tournament at the World Twenty20.

Instead he has returned to county cricket in a bid to regain confidence ahead of England's Ashes defence in Australia later this year and Collingwood said: "I understand the bigger picture in terms of KP going away and getting into some form.

"That's exactly what he's done.

"He's already scored a hundred (for Surrey against Sussex in a 40-over match on Saturday) so we are all delighted for him.

"I think with the big winter we've got coming up, you understand these kind of decisions."

Demands grow for removal of Ijaz Butt

KARACHI: Amid more match-fixing revelations of British tabloid News of the World, cricket circles in Pakistan have renewed their demand for change of current set up in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Chairman of Senate Standing Committee on Sports Iqbal Muhammad Ali and senior sports journalist Qamar Ahmed have held the national board responsible for the whole mess.



British tabloid NOTW quoted Test opener Yasir Hameed as saying that some of his team-mates were fixing almost every match.



Cricket experts and critics blame the PCB for the current situation and appealed to the government to take strict action against the board officials.



Senator Iqbal Muhammad Ali has called for immediate removal of PCB chief Ijat Butt.



Speaking to SAMAA, senior journalist Qamar Ahmed severely criticized the PCB, saying it has terribly failed to deal with the situation.



Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has apologised for the controversy surrounding the spot-fixing allegations.



Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer 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.



And Afridi said: "It's very bad news. On behalf of the players I want to say sorry to cricket lovers in all the cricketing nations."



He added: "It's a big challenge for me as captain but we're all ready. The coach and I are not talking about the issue, we are here to play cricket

Yasir Hameed accuses team-mates of widespread match fixing

LONDON: The crisis surrounding Pakistan cricket deepened on Saturday when a teammate of the three players suspended on corruption charges reportedly claimed that players on his team had been fixing "almost every match."

The British News of the World tabloid newspaper said its Sunday edition will quote opening batsman Yasir Hameed as saying Pakistan players were throwing matches.

"They were doing it in almost every match," Yasir was quoted as saying. "God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages."



"It makes me angry because I'm playing my best and they are trying to lose."



Yasir played in last week's fourth test against England, in which Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir are alleged to have deliberately bowled no-balls in conspiracy with bookmakers.



Yasir has not commented upon the report but Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed told The Associated Press that the player denied speaking with the paper, which goes on sale the same day as Pakistan's first Twenty20 international against England.



"I have just spoken to Yasir and he did deny it," Saeed said. "I said 'if you have not said these things, why are they saying this?' Again he said 'I have not said it.'"



"That's all I can say. Let's wait and see what happens."



England and Wales Cricket board chairman Giles Clarke said on Saturday the match will go ahead despite the latest allegations.



The International Cricket Council suspended Asif, Amir and test captain Salman Butt this week while it investigates them for various offences under the sport's anti-corruption code.



The ICC is refusing to discuss the case or detail the charges, which followed a sting operation detailed in last week's News of the World that alleged that a middleman accepted payment in exchange for the deliberate no-balls in the match at Lord's - which Pakistan lost by an innings and 225 runs for its worst ever test defeat.



The ICC has called it the biggest fixing scandal to hit cricket for a decade.



The News of the World said its Sunday edition will claim that a fourth Pakistan player is being investigated by the ICC, but that he cannot be named for legal reasons.



The tabloid said Butt, Amir and Asif face a total of 23 charges from the ICC, and alleges that at least 10-thousand pounds (15,400 US Dollars) of marked bank notes it handed to a middleman in exchange for the no-balls has been recovered from Butt's locker.



The captain of Pakistan's limited overs teams has apologised to cricket fans for the controversy.



Shahid Afridi said Saturday that the players in the squad for the remaining two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England were upset by the allegations.



Butt, Asif and Amir were released without criminal charge after being questioned by London police on Friday but could be banned from cricket for life if found guilty.



The Pakistan Cricket Board's legal adviser said Saturday that the trio have denied knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by the middleman, agent Mazhar Majeed.



"The players have informed the police that the man was their agent, but they had no knowledge," about his alleged wrongdoing, Tafazzul Rizvi told private television channels in Pakistan.



The News of the World has accused Majeed of acting as a middleman, accepting money in exchange for getting Asif and Amir to bowl intentional no-balls.



The News of the World said that its Sunday edition will include proof that Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan was mistaken in his assertion that the paper recorded Majeed discussing the timing of the no-balls after they were bowled on August 26th.



Hasan, Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain, has accused the ICC of bias for banning the players while police are still looking into the case.