Pakistan Gambling Cheats Jailed

Story by Pete Starr on 2011-11-03 16:15:53

The Pakistani quartet of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Mazhar Majeed have all been jailed for their part in a spot fixing scam.

Former Pakistan Cricket Captain, Salman Butt, today received 30 months incarceration for his orchestrating role in the scheme whereby no balls were deliberately bowled in a test match against England last summer.

Mohammad Asif, 28, formerly the worlds second best Test bowler, will serve one year behind bars, whilst 19 year old Mohammed Amir has been sentenced to six months imprisonment. Cricketing agent Mazhar Majeed received two years and eight months for his part in the deal whereby no balls were arranged and performed to prove to gamblers that cricket games could be rigged.

The players were caught following a News Of The World sting whereby Majeed was recorded boasting how he could get Pakistani cricketers to fix cricket games for money. Majeed accepted £150 000 from the undercover journalist for details of three pre determined no-balls which the players had been persuaded to bowl in return for cash.

Majeed is believed to have paid Asif £65,000, Butt £10,000 and Amir £2,500 for their  part in the scam.

According to Salman Butt’s soliciter, the former captain is believed to be lodging an appeal against the severity of his sentence within the next 24 hours. In passing his sentence on the quartet, Mr Justice Cook slammed their actions stating: “It is the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it that make the offences so serious.”

As well as their prison sentences the three players have been ordered to pay compensation towards the prosecution costs. On top of that the three players have also been banned from all forms of cricket for five years by the International Cricket Council, a decision that all three are appealing.