Pakistan board summons three players to meeting

TAUNTON, England (AP):

Pakistan captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif will travel to London today to meet with Pakistan officials in the wake of match-fixing allegations.

Team manager Yawar Saeed made the announcement in the team hotel yesterday, saying the meeting will be held tomorrow and will be attended by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt and the country's high commissioner.

The three players are expected to return to the squad on Saturday, Saeed said.

British newspaper The News of the World reported Sunday that Pakistan's bowlers were paid to deliberately bowl no-balls on Thursday's opening day of the fourth Test against England at Lord's. The three players and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were implicated in the story.

Asif, Amir and Butt had their mobile phones confiscated by police, who also searched hotel rooms and questioned players late Saturday as part of an investigation also involving the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

Closed training session

Pakistan's cricketers held a closed training session yesterday, locked away from a media circus seeking to uncover players who were not on the team bus for an afternoon training session.

"It's a challenge and we will try to make sure they are focused on the game," Pakistan coach Waqar Younis said of the difficulties in now motivating his players.

Pakistani and ICC officials are due to meet to decide if the implicated players should be suspended from the two Twenty20 games and five one-day internationals against England starting from Sunday.

The News of the World said it secretly filmed its undercover reporters, posing as front men for a Far East gambling cartel, in discussion with a man it identifies as London-based businessman Mazhar Majeed, who appears to accept £150,000 (US$232,000) in order to make sure no-balls are bowled at certain times during the fourth Test.

England won the match by an innings and 225 runs to take the series 3-1.

Police report

Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said earlier yesterday that he wanted to wait for an initial British police report before sending an investigation team to England.

He said the Pakistan inquiry team would comprise two senior Federal Investigation Agency officials and one from the sports ministry. Sports minister Ijaz Jakhrani said there was no need to rush an investigation team to Britain yesterday.

"No charges are yet framed against our cricketers, so we should not become emotional," Jakhrani said.

Meanwhile, ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, says the allegations of match-fixing in cricket are "sad and disappointing", but denies his organisation has allowed the sport to be corrupted.

Speaking at Cape Town international Airport yesterday, Lorgat says he would be "at a loss for words" if the undercover sting by a British newspaper accusing some Pakistan players of manipulating matches turns out to be true.

Lorgat says the ICC has "strong measures in place to ensure the integrity of the game is maintained", but that cricket's governing body needs cooperation and discipline from players.