Three Pakistani players leave for London

TAUNTON - Pakistan’s trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer — at the centre of match-fixing allegations — left here for London Wednesday for what are seen as a series of crucial meetings with diplomatic and Pakistan cricket board officials Thursday.

Aamer smiled as he got into a car parked in front of their hotel here and Butt also looked relaxed. They were followed by Asif and the three left here for London at around 11.00 a.m.

Their meetings were scheduled to be held Wednesday but were pushed to Thursday, Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed revealed here. He did not give any reason for the delay.

It effectively rules out the participation of the three players in Pakistan’s only warm-up match against Somerset at the County Ground in Taunton Thursday, before the One-day series against England.

Butt, Pakistan’s Test captain, and fast bowlers Asif and Aamer are at the centre of a spot-fixing scandal that was triggered by a few no-balls bowled by the pacers during last week’s fourth and final Test between Pakistan and England at Lord’s.

While the three players left for London, their teammates held their second training session in the lead up to the series that will begin with a Twenty20 International in Cardiff Sunday.

The Pakistan players once again held a closed door practice session. Also seen in action was wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who was initially named the fourth player involved in the scandal by the News of the World last weekend.