Pakistan leave for Taunton as inquiries continue

 

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said detectives had on Saturday visited the team's hotel, where Butt and the bowlers had been interviewed about the allegations. —Reuters Photo

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team left their London hotel on Monday, and were on their way to Taunton, where they will play a Twenty20 tour match against Somerset ahead of the limited-overs series against
England.
Pakistan left their hotel, Swiss Cottage, late Monday morning as Scotland Yard continued its inquiry into the spot-fixing allegations levelled against at least four members of the national team.
While Pakistan insist on playing the limited-overs series, including two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals as per schedule, hosts England been hesitant in committing their participation in the series.
“I honestly think that the best thing to do is let the dust settle on this,” England captain Andrew Strauss was quoted as saying by cricket website Cricinfo.com.
Meanwhile, the man at the centre of the alleged spot-fixing scam was out on bail as police, governments and authorities probed the scandal.
Mazhar Majeed, 35, was released from custody having been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers, following a newspaper's claim that he took money in return for exact details on no-balls in the Lord's Test match between England and Pakistan.
British police bailed Majeed without charge late Sunday.
“A 35-year-old man has been bailed until a date in the future,” a Scotland Yard spokesman told AFP.
He said the police would not be discussing the date or his bail conditions.
Scotland Yard detectives have also grilled Pakistan captain Salman Butt and two of their star strike bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif in their investigation.
The News of the World newspaper said it paid Majeed 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) in return for advance details about the timing of three no-balls in the fourth and final Test, which England won on Sunday to take the series 3-1.
The report said Aamer and Asif delivered blatant no-balls at the exact points in the match indicated by the alleged middleman.
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said detectives had on Saturday visited the team's hotel, where Butt and the bowlers had been interviewed about the allegations.
All three gave statements to the police, who took away their mobile phones.
Scotland Yard said they could not discuss persons interviewed as part of an inquiry.
The News of the World published a photograph, video and audio of its encounters with Majeed. He was pictured counting wads of banknotes given to him by a reporter posing as a front man for a betting syndicate.
The Lord's Test was played to a finish Sunday, but unusually, the post-match presentation ceremony did not take place on the outfield but was moved inside the pavilion.
During the ceremony, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke refused to shake Aamer's hand when presenting the player with the Pakistan Man of the Series award and a cheque for 4,000 pounds.
Despite the allegations, Saeed denied that Pakistani cricket was “institutionally corrupt”.
“I would not like to say that,” he said. “Yes, one has heard and one has read (allegations), but I would not like to go that far.” A defiant Butt insisted he would not resign the Test team captaincy over the claims.
“Anybody can stand out and say anything about you, that doesn't make them true,” he said.
Pakistan's federal sports minister Ijaz Jakhrani promised that any players found guilty would be severely punished.
If wrongdoing was proven, “all the players involved must forget to play for Pakistan in future,” he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they had requested access to the ongoing investigation.
The no-balls at the centre of the claims were bowled on Thursday and Friday.