Pakistanis face 'decisive' ICC action

LONDON (AP):

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has promised to take "prompt and decisive action" against any Pakistan player found guilty of fixing or manipulating matches.

The ICC said yesterday that its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is investigating newspaper allegations that fixing is endemic in Pakistan matches up to and including their current tour of England.

"The integrity of the game is of paramount importance," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. "Prompt and decisive action will be taken against those who seek to harm it.

"However, the facts must first be established through a thorough investigation and it is important to respect the right of due process when addressing serious allegations of this sort."

Pakistan cricket is in crisis after British police started investigating allegations by a British tabloid that two of their players deliberately bowled no-balls against England last week in exchange for money. Individuals in illegal betting hubs allegedly have that information passed on to them so they can bet on a sure thing.

There is no suggestion that the players' actions affected the scale of Pakistan's defeat - their heaviest in 58 years of Test cricket - any player found guilty of colluding with bookmakers to manipulate the result could be banned for life.

Zero-tolerance approach

Pakistan lost the series 3-1 after going down by an innings and 225 runs on Sunday.

"The International Cricket Council, England and Wales Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board are committed to a zero-tolerance approach to corruption in cricket," Lorgat said. "All allegations of betting irregularities or fixing of matches or incidents within matches are investigated thoroughly."

The sting operation by an undercover newspaper reporter has also led to a rekindling of suspicion that the result of Pakistan's defeat to Australia in Sydney in January was fixed.

Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the country's highest law enforcement agency had sent a three-man delegation to London.

"Scotland Yard is doing its own investigations," Malik said. "Our team is there to assist them and also independently find out what has happened."

The Pakistan squad left London yesterday and travelled to Taunton in southwest England, where they are scheduled to play county side Somerset on Thursday.