Match-fixing saga: More games under scanner

A guarded International Cricket Council President Sharad Pawar said the allegations were very serious but the ICC would wait for a report from the police in London before deciding on its course of action.

8220;Until and unless the process of investigation is over,it is improper for me to react,8221; Pawar told reporters in Mumbai.

8220;We have discussed it within the ICC and have decided that let us wait for the police8217;s investigation report. After that we have to take a viewpoint of the two Boards,the Pakistan Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

8220;If this is established,there will be quite a serious view that will be taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board,the England Cricket Board and the ICC,8221; he said.

The furore follows allegations that a bookie,Mazhar Majeed,arrested and later released on bail,bribed Pakistani pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir for 8216;spot-fixing8217; to bowl no balls during the Lord8217;s Test against England,which the visitors lost by an innings and 225 runs.

While match-fixing involves rigging the outcome of a game,8217;spot-fixing8217; means manipulating events within a match.

Skeletons continued to tumble out in the saga with reports saying that the first Test between England and Pakistan in the just-ended series and Pakistan and Australia in Sydney in January were also fixed.

Another report claimed that the Pakistani players were found with cash exceeding their daily allowances during a Scotland Yard raid on Saturday night.

But the storm has failed to force a resignation from Butt,who has reacted by saying that,8221;I haven8217;t heard any allegations,except just taking my name. There8217;s nothing I8217;ve seen or been shown on TV that involves me.8221;

But rattled by the bookie8217;s claim about the Sydney Test,Cricket Australia said the allegations are 8220;most disturbing8221; and called for a thorough investigation into the scandal.

8220;The reports from the UK are most disturbing and we look forward to the outcome of rigorous investigation by the UK authorities as well as by the ICC,8221; CA chief James Sutherland said.

8220;It is critical for cricket that the public has confidence in the integrity of the outcome of games,which is why CA and other ICC members have supported the significant world cricket investment in anti corruption over the last decade or more,8221; Sutherland added.

Equally disturbed by the turn of events was Australian captain Ricky Ponting,who said if the match-fixing slur is proved right,all individual milestones by his players in the Sydney game would be 8220;tainted8221;.

8220;The thing that I8217;m most worried about if any of this is proven to be true is some of the individual performances that took place in that game,8221; he said.

8220;All of those individual milestones will be tainted as well,8221; he added.

The BCCI,arguably the most financially powerful member of the ICC,said the matter is for the ICC and the PCB to deal with.

8220;The PCB and ICC should look into this matter and they are capable of handling it,8221; BCCI spokesman Rajiv Shukla said.

Former captains reacted with shock and anger at the scandal.

Former players such as Ian Chappell,Ramiz Raja,Michael Vaughan,Imran Khan and Ian Botham condemned the scandal and said they were worried about the future of cricket.

The scandal drew sharp reactions from the British media which said it threatens the very existence of the sport and called for Pakistan8217;s suspension from international cricket and life bans on the players if found guilty.