ICC had warned PCB about player-bookie nexus

The International Cricket Council had conveyed its apprehension to the PCB about the alleged nexus between some Pakistani players and suspected bookmakers even before the British tabloid came out with the spot-fixing scandal on August 28.

Well placed sources in the Board said that the ICC officials had a confidential discussion with PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt last month in which they conveyed their apprehensions about the possible links between players and bookies.

"The ICC passed on the information and some text messages to Butt which indicated that Pakistani players had been in touch with Mazhar Majeed even during the Twenty20 World Cup over spot-fixing issues," a source said.

He said immediately after the ICC conveyed its apprehension to the PCB that something might be going on in the Pakistan and England series that Butt rushed the board's legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi to meet with the ICC anti-corruption and security unit officials and the Pakistan High Commission in London.

"The News of the World came out later with its story but the ICC had already sounded off its suspicions to the PCB which also saw Butt leave again for England this month," the source stated.

Sources have indicated that one of the forensic evidences that the Scotland Yard detectives and ACSU officers are currently looking at in the laTest spot-fixing scandal are text messages and audio recordings of telephone conversations that Mazhar had with some players during the World Twenty20 Championships in the West Indies.

Scotland Yard detectives raided the Pakistan team hotel last Saturday night after News of the World broke the story and its reporter passed on the "evidence" that Test skipper Salman Butt, pace duo Muhammad Amir and Mohammad Asif and apparently some other players might have been involved in spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England.

Pakistan lost in the semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup to Australia from a strong winning position and left its supporters stunned and angry.

The source also said that apparently the Twenty20 and One-Day captain, Shahid Afridi was also unhappy with the team's performance in some of the matches.