England cricketers may be re-interviewed over Pak tainted trio case

LONDON - England’s Test cricketers may be re-interviewed by London’s Metropolitan Police Service as the Crown Prosecution Services prepares its case against former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir over corruption charges.

According to the Daily Mail, the players could be asked to appear as witnesses to events on the field, and in particular the three no-balls at the centre of the scandal, during the fourth Test between England and Pakistan played at Lord’s in August last year.

England captain Andrew Strauss and other players, who played in the Test, have already provided witness statements.
The three Pakistani players, who have already been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), face up to nine years in jail over charges that they bowled “no balls to order” at pre-arranged times.

Simon Clements, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division, had earlier said that the three players, along with bookmaker Mazhar Majeed, had been summoned to appear for a first hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 17.
“Summonses 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. Their extradition will be sought should they fail to return,” Clements had said.

The official also said that the CPS had been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service since the spot-fixing allegations became public on August 29, 2010, and that they had ’sufficient evidence’ against the accused. (ANI)