Pakistan practice amidst fixing controversy

TAUNTON - Pakistan held is first practice session ahead of the One-day series against England at the County Ground here Tuesday without the three players accused of links with match-fixers.

The visitors left out Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir at the team hotel as they trained for a few hours in a closed-door session. Pakistan is scheduled to play a practice match against Somerset here Thursday.

The mood in the Pakistan camp remains tense as it’s uncertain whether it will be able to field the trio in the one-day series which will begin with a Twenty20 International in Cardiff from Sunday.

A source in the Pakistan team told IANS here Tuesday that a final decision on whether Pakistan will field the three players in the series opening match will be taken Thursday.

Meanwhile, Salman, Asif and Amir will head for London Wednesday to meet Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt.

Butt was asked by the Internatinal Cricket Council (ICC) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), during an emergency teleconference Monday, to ensure that the players alleged by the News of the World to be involved in spot-fixing do not play any part in the upcoming series.

However, so far the PCB chairman has been insisting that he won’t take any action against the players unless charges against them are proven.