LONDON: Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of fixing part of a test match against England last year.
Former captain Butt and opening bowler Asif were convicted of conspiracy to cheat at London's Southwark Crown Court, the Press Association reported.
The jurors also found Butt guilty of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments but have not yet reached a verdict on whether Asif was guilty of the same charge.
Butt now faces up to seven years in jail or a fine.
The court heard how they plotted to bowl deliberate no-balls in the Lord's test in August last year.
The pair were charged after an undercover reporter recorded sports agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, boasting of how he could arrange for Pakistan players to rig games for money.
Over three weeks of evidence, the jury heard that there are huge sums to be made by fixing cricket matches for gambling syndicates.
The allegations emerged after Mazher Mahmood, a journalist with the now defunct News of the World newspaper, approached Majeed in August last year pretending to be a wealthy Indian businessman seeking international cricketers for a tournament.
Majeed claimed he had been carrying out match-fixing for 2-1/2 years, had seven players from Pakistan's national side working for him, and had made "masses and masses of money".
The agent was secretly filmed accepting 150,000 pounds ($240,000) in cash from the journalist as part of an arrangement to rig games.
Prosecutors said Butt and Asif conspired with Majeed and Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir, 19, to deliver three intentional no-balls during the test.
Butt and Asif both denied the charges. Butt told the court that Majeed asked him to become involved in fixing, but said he ignored the agent's requests and knew nothing about the alleged agreement to deliver no-balls at pre-arranged times.
COMMENTS (85)
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@Dallas Ali: Thank you dear
@Pakistani Hindu: Glad that you responded to these jerks who thing they are the only rightful one's to be in Pakistan. It is a shame to see that humans NO matter what their ideals or believes are cannot live side by side.
It is this kind of attitude that has bought about the the doom in sports as well.
@Sao Lao: Lol, why dear? What makes you think that I am not Pakistani? We've been living here in the present day Pakistan for thousands of years. Our roots go back to Harappan Civilization.
@Pakistani Hindu: very good reply.........
@Tauseef:
you stole the thoughts from my mind. I have always thought the circumstances surrounding the 'death' of Bob Woolmer and the way the verdict came out all very fishy to say the least. Someone some country succeeded in hushing things up. For a change, there was a conspiracy from our side !
@Pakistani Hindu: Nice Joke. BTW i know you are not Pakistani. just pretending to be one
As a Pakitani, i feel sad for our Pakistani cricketers. However I am not surprised because in very department of Pakistan corruption is rampant.Is there any department or institution which is free from corruption.From the people who sits in corridors of power to the policeman on the street. Corruption is the name of the game, we do not even spare old age pensioners. So why are we angry with our cricketers - because they were corrupt or whether they were caught. If we want to get rid of corruption we will have to look inside and clean ourselves from corruption
@Hedgefunder: Those references to RAW CIA MOSSAD MI6 etc are mostly jokes
@Abba Jee: SPOT ON
I'm thinking about those who are still aren't caught. My thoughts for Bob Woolmer, today. How conveniently we have tried to wash his dead corpse aside!
@Maulana Sandwitch: You are right. All over the world people of different faith who regularly go to church, synagogues, temples, mosques etc. have the same thinking their religion does not intrude into their day to day lives and that is the pity. If people behaved as taught by their respective religions the world would be different but alas they do not and that is the pity.
@Aryabhat: Has already been said by Pakistani Hindu. Though I do not know if it was said tongue in cheek or seriously. I suspect the latter is likely to be true.
Let the poor fellow make some money; whole country (I mean those who are in position) making money
@sajid khan, seriously can you even think like that??? may be your comment was biased coz of your love for their talent, but be a bit realistic, @pakistani hindu, not everything is to be blamed on so called anti pakistan agencies. Get a life bitey
i think 90 percent of our cricketers and selectors are corrupt. pls investigate world cup semi final in india in which pak perfomance was so suspicious especially Misbah batting stance for which he is rewarded and made captain .
Well, I don't know why everyone is bashing these cricketers, afterall they are a fabrication of our society. This is very usual in our society to punish and banish the smal thief. I mean butt, asif and aamir probably cheated the nation for couple of thousands of dollars and they are about to get jailed. Why dont you people talk about the punishments that should be given to the biiger cheaters and thives, our leaders who have cheated the enitre nation and world for billions. The london justice system was quite efficient in concluding this case, but they house the biggest theives from MQM and PPP, who own property there. Cmoon guys, yes they are guilty, they should pay a hfty fine. But you cant jail them for 7 years, when bigger theives are rulling our country ands roaming freely.
Sad indeed but thats what happens when an incompetant board mismanages players, does not instill and enforce discipline and changes personel on personal whims. Sacks a world cup winning successful and honest captain (younis khan) due to influence of a certain lobby - pits players against each other. There have been fixing scandels in South Africa India and rumours with the Aussies but definitely they are run by far more efficient and professional boards who probably are quick to stamp it out and also protect their players when its needed. What is sadder that alll this furore is not over a "thrown" match but 3 meaningless no balls. I am sure there are a number of matches that have been thrown ( and not just by Pakistan) but we shall never know. Yet we got a tip of the ice berg. Has justice really been served or we have 2 maybe 3 scapegoats to tell ourselves that cricket has been purged clean and we can get back to cricket test matches ODI's and IPL's.
Reading some of the above comments its so sad, that there is serious lack of education or awareness in today's pakistan with ridiculous comments regarding Raw, Cia, nlah,,,,,,,,,,,etc. How about a body called ICC and PCB, who are responsible for the sport on International and Domestic levels respectively !!!!! This will also not be last time that the Land of Pure will export such products to the rest of the world as , when society that lives in denial, illusions and blame game can simply not improve its stock !!!!
@MS: Amir too is going down ! But possibly for less period as he did not waste court's time and had already pleaded guilty along with the agent! Shame that once again we the Taxpayers of UK will have to support these lot for their stay in prison!!!
@MD: dont overresct. how can u say all of them are corrupt. if a couple convictions reflect on all players then conviction of manoj prabhakar azharuddin warne hansie cronje reflect that entire teams are corrupt and which include kapil sachin border etc..etc... you are abusive because they are pakistani who wete caught. what aout other names mazhar majid accused for spot fixing? he says aussies are biggest fixers. but they are not caught on camera.tlk some sense man
These boys are innocent as usual. It must be govt's fault Zardari being the chief of cricket in Pakistan, he should be responsible. Like all our personal actions and corruption, let us blame the govt.
@Pakistani Hindu: Please don't blame other countries. Pakistan needs to look at its own backyard. It is sad to see every segment of its society is greedy and corrupt. This worst of unsportsmanlike like behavior. Please of Pakistan in particular and sportsmen/women in particular should condemn them.
There's a lesson to be learnt by our law enforcers and our judiciary.
A black day for Pakistan cricket.
What's new? I will ask all our media outlets to stop reporting about this trio. They are past now. Our team is going fine right now.
Double standards in fixing too: when Pakistanis do it, its corruption, when Australians bet on a game its, well, sport!
@Patrick: Sajid Khan is being sarcastic ofcource Butt was only there because he had backing from PCB ... otherwise check his average which is in 30s only.
Please save these. Else Pak will only be known for terrorists and cheats. Big time conspiracy by BCCI, ICC, RAW, USA etc.
Shame on such cricketers.. Alas, corruption and dirty politics everywhere in Pakistan..
shame on PCB. its a shame that even they were guilty they shd hav been tried in Pakistan not in UK :p we shd learn from U.S in raymond davis case
Seems a bit insane to be jailed for this I must say.
It is a conspiracy by KGB, CIA, RAW, MI6, Hindus, Afghans, Baloch, Sindhis, Mohajirs, Kashmiris, Pashtoon, Jews, Christians, Israelis, Indians, Iranians, Russians. They want to take our Imran Khan away from us.
@Sajid Khan: My dear sir I am not sure you are being ironic ... but if you are not just for the record , this verdict was delivered by British Court of Law and Jury who are definitely NOT influenced by ICC.
They are now convicted but what do you think they will pay the fine or get jailed? Also can anybody tell me how much they will be fined?
aka ghariat,
In a bitter twist for Butt, his wife, Gul Hassan, was understood to have given birth to a second son by caesarean section on Tuesday morning, an hour before his verdict was delivered at 11.45am.
Its a conspiracy to demean pakistan by british, indian, jews & afghans!
Jail is the right place for them, not Pakistan Cricket team!!!!
@Pakistani Hindu: LOL ! You comment made my day but I was a little surprised that Taco Bell wasn't involved!!!
Global Gonspiracy against Innocent Muslims?? Will Imran Khan launch a Dharna in support of his cricketing fraternity?
Well my country is full of cheats at all levels,on arrival both should be sent behind the bars along with the heavily paid security officers,should have been inducted on big safarish, for this reason nation facing embarrassment.
@maxwell: Do not expect the buffoon to come out and say anything now that the cricketers have been found guilty!
Well well well... who can say none other Pakistani player will engage into all this even after that? At least I can't.
@Anthony Permal: Not only that but forty percent of our parliamentarians have bogus degrees and thirty-eight percent of our electoral rolls are forged. Our country has become a 'global cartoon.'
Salams
This is a slap on the faces of the ever active Pak conspiracy theorists, who cried conspiracy, conspiracy, conspiracy, when The News of the World, first exposed how low the Pak cricketers' could stoop for few a bucks. Now stop abusing IPL for not hiring any Pakistani cricketer. All of them are corrupt to the core.
These people, whether they are Pakistanis, Indians, or South Africans, have given bad name to the sport and caused embarrassments to their countrymen. No sympathy with them. Do feel sorry for their families, but that is how it is. Every criminal has a family which has nothing to do with the crime.
Pakistani cricketers have outdone Pakistani politicians. They have been declared corrupt and cheat and conspirators. Pakistanis who believed that those involved in corrupt practices will always go scot-free are in for a huge disappointment. Corruption pays for a short while but those involved in it have to pay dearly. It is amazing that those who are showered with millions, love, admiration and who get limelight for playing cricket are not content with what they get through legal means. They chose to augment their coffers with corrupt practices and eventually lose everything else, even the future opportunity to play and earn decent living. When the reports about their wrongdoing initially came, Pakistanis were in a state of denial and, as usual, dismissed these reports as Indian conspiracy. It has now been established beyond doubt that these cricketers themselves conspired to defame their nation. They deserve severest-possible punishment for this crime which in Pakistan should be declared as high treason. What they did to themselves, their fans, their country and the game of cricket is just not cricket.
@Pakistani Hindu: Ha Haahh! Your comment is well placed.
Very unlucky. There was a chance for acquittal had they been charged in our country ..... reason we all know. Bad luck guys but you committed this crime on a land which knows how to deliver justice. Here confirmed terrorists are found not guilty. Your case was only on hmmmm spot fixing.
Corruption or Conspiracy ... who knows :)
Good lesson for the rest of them.
Individuals are rewarded for bringing honour to the country. Now individuals should also be punished for bringing disgrace to the country.
Prime Minister Gilani should set the precedent for posterity!
We, Pakistan, must say, "No to Corruption". Period.
Now pray and hope they don't get away with just fine and do get jailed for some years and bribery isn't a small crime and they should be put behind bars. At least some one knows how to serve justice unlike our country where they were let free despite all the bad they did to sport and our country.
Get them into the prison van. good riddance.
Whats going to happen to Mohamed Aamer now?
Well they got what the deserve. I hope cricket will be a better game after that.
I am waiting for someone to say "This is a conspiracy by Joos, Hindoos, CIA and British MI6 to tarnish the image of Pakistan and its innocent boys!"
I would also like to hear from Pakistani Ambassador in UK - as he was very prominent in Media denying ALL charges to these innocent boys!
A must for the sake of sports and for cricket in particular....
Quit cricket join politics you are far less corrupt than politicians...
Congratulation to cricket.
Feeling for Butt's newly born baby.
Good decision. If someone is involved in any kind of corruption, he/she should face consequences. Hopefully it will deter the corruption in Pakistan cricket in future. No one is above the law.
serves them right!
Good Job!! NOW the rest of the players will think zillion times before taking a step like that!
Its a great news. Now cases should be initiated against those who introduced bookies to cricketers in Sharjha long time ago. "Change" is coming.
And so, two men's greed has tarnished the reputation of an entire nation's sport.
Fair and expected decision!
Fair and expected decision.
Thanks God now players will learn something from this. At least teenagers.
Justice Served. Finally.
shame shame shame shame
Innocent guys trapped by RAW, MOSSAD, MI6, CIA, KFC, McDonalds.
Muhammad Asif and Salman Butt, today, became the first sportsmen to be convicted of an on-field corruption in a UK court since 1960s...