London: The International Cricket Council (ICC) may now initiate fresh investigations against Pakistani players Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz following the conviction of their team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in the spot-fixing scandal, a British newspaper reported.
According to the report of The Daily Telegraph, the guilty verdicts handed out to Butt and Asif by the Southwark Crown Court here Tuesday, could form the basis of a fresh anti-corruption probe against wicketkeeper Akmal and left-arm pacer Riaz, whose names appeared during the entire controversy.
“The International Cricket Council will examine closely evidence gathered by police officers in London who investigated the fixing case involving three Pakistan cricketers,”the report claimed.
“Both (Akmal and Riaz) were mentioned on several occasions during the case, linked to scams organised by Mazher Majeed. Akmal’s name also crops up in correspondence between the agent and his fixing contacts around the world in evidence collated by police from earlier stages of the tour,” it read.
The report also read that during the hearing, Aftab Jafferjee, QC for the prosecution, said the roles of ”Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal raise deep, deep suspicions.”
Interestingly, Akmal and Riaz were among the seven Pakistani cricketers, whose names appeared on recordings during the conversation between alleged bookie Majeed and the undercover reporter of the News of the World, which broke the scandal.
Butt, Mohammad Amir, Asif, Umar Akmal and Imran Farhat were the other five Pakistani players, whom Majeed named during the conversation.
Butt and Asif were found guilty of cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments by a criminal court yesterday, for fixing part of the Lord’s Test last year.
The third accused, 19-year-old pacer Aamir, who was also involved in the conspiracy, did not face trial as he had accepted his mistake.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription