Pak trio charged with 'spot-fixing'

 LONDON: British prosecutors on Friday charged three Pakistan cricketers with taking bribes to fix incidents in an international match in England last year.

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir are accused of fixing certain incidents, such as the bowling of no-balls at pre-agreed times, during the fourth test at Lord's last August.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said the trio, along with a fourth man, sporting agent Mazhar Majeed, had been charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and with conspiracy to cheat.

"These charges relate to allegations that Mr Majeed accepted money from a third party to arrange for the players to bowl
`no balls' on 26 and 27 August 2010, during Pakistan's Fourth Test at Lord's Cricket Ground in London," said Simon Clements, head of the CPS Special Crime Division.

He said Majeed had been ordered to appear at London's City of Westminster Magistrates Court on March 17.

"Summonses for the same court date have been issued for the three players and they have been asked to return to this country voluntarily, as they agreed to do in September last year," Clements said.

"Their extradition will be sought should they fail to return," he added.