ICC hold-up with spot-fixing verdict delayed as Pakistan net widens

ICC hold-up with spot-fixing verdict delayed as Pakistan net widens

The International Cricket Council has deferred its judgment on the three Pakistan players accused of various corruption charges until February 5th but the ICC tribunal in Doha revealed yesterday that it had broadened its investigation to include the third Test at the Oval as well as last August’s fourth Test at Lord’s.

Salman Butt, the Pakistan captain, has one charge pending from that Oval Test, a fact that had not been made public previously. But Michael Beloff QC, chairman of the three-man independent tribunal, said that Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer are no longer under scrutiny for events at The Oval. It was not stated what the players had been accused of.

 Big day: Mohamed Aamer arrives at the Qatar Financial Centre to attend Tuesday's hearing

The dropping of the Oval charges against Asif and Aamer will hasten a verdict. Asif, Aamer and Butt still face a variety of charges under the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code relating to Lord’s, where they were alleged to have accepted payment for bowling no-balls at pre-agreed times.

Aamer’s lawyer Shahid Karim said on Tuesday night: 'We are satisfied with the outcome today because there are two positives for us. The first is that the ICC has dropped all charges relating to the alleged Oval fix, and the only charges that remain are the alleged Lord’s fix

 Verdict: Salman Butt captained the Pakistan side during the clashes with England

'Secondly the tribunal has acceded to our request that there ought to be due deliberation before a decision is handed out, and that the decision should be reasoned decision and then a sanction hearing can take place.

The three players were suspended from cricket in September following the News of the World’s revelations and each of them has the possibility of being given a life ban from the sport

In the spotlight: Mohammad Asif was the third Pakistan player under suspicion

Explaining the decision to defer, Beloff said the tribunal had seen eight volumes of evidence across 45 hours for the past six days. He referred to “oral testimony and tapes, video and forensics” and concluded that it was 'not feasible within the timetable agreed for this hearing in Doha.'

Beloff said that the tribunal will consider evidence over the next 3-and-a-half weeks. The hearing will re-convene in Doha, Qatar, a fortnight before the opening game of the 2011 Cricket World Cup to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.