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Akmal brothers, Wahab Riaz named in fixing trial

LONDON: Three more Pakistani cricketers were implicated of involvement in the spot-fixing scandal at the Southwark Crown Court on Thursday during the ongoing trial of former captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif. The prosecution claimed players agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, told an undercover reporter he had six players under his control. Apart from those already accused, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, his brother and batsman Umar Akmal and fast bowler Wahab Riaz were said to be involved in corrupt practices. The prosecution also alleged that Salman Butt had deliberately played a maiden over. The allegations stem from investigative journalism by the now-defunct News of the World newspaper. A journalist posing as an Indian businessman met Majeed to discuss the possibility of staging a tournament in the UAE. At the end of the conversation, he touched on the subject of fixing games, saying that at least three players would be needed to be involved in the scam, the jury was told. Majeed allegedly replied: Boss, Ive got six already. According to a website, Majeed has also named batsman Imran Farhat but said he (Farhat) was not in on the whole picture. In February this year, an International Cricket Council tribunal announced a sanction of 10-year ineligibility for Butt (with five years of a suspended sentence); seven years for Asif (with two years suspended) and five years ineligibility for Mohammad Aamer. Although Kamran Akmal was initially part of the ICC scanner, he had been let off. Butt and Asif have denied any role in the conspiracy to accept corrupt payments or conspiracy to cheat gamblers. Their trial centres around a Test match against England at Lords in 2010; but evidence was also heard relating to an Oval Test which took place in the same series. Aamer and Majeed have not figured in the trial so far. It is being interpreted that they have accepted their guilt. The prosecuting barrister, Aftab Jafferjee, said there was nothing sinister in Aamer and Majeeds absence from the proceedings.

                                                                                                               
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