Spot-fixing trial: Jury hears telephone conversations

The jury deciding on the alleged spot-fixing trial involving Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif returned to court, on Friday, to hear more evidence from telephone conversations.

- Spot-fixing trial

On the second day of the jury's deliberations, the jury came back into Southwark Crown Court to hear telephone conversations involving agent Mazhar Majeed's attempts to ask Butt to play out a maiden over, Cricinfo reported.

They listened to two recordings. The first was of a telephone conversation between Majeed and the undercover News of the World journalist on the evening of August 20, with Butt heard on speaker phone.

They also heard a call made on the morning of August 21 when Majeed spoke to the journalist in person at his Croydon home, and also rang Butt again during that conversation. Majeed was trying to ask Butt to bat out a maiden over, which he did not subsequently do.

The judge had earlier completed his summing-up on what was the 17th day in the trial and he offered some guidance to the 12-person jury who will decide the fate of the two players.

Former captain Butt and pace bowler Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments following the Lord's Test in August last year.