Pakistan cricketers to face October trial

LONDON - The three Pakistan cricketers accused of spot-fixing will face trial in London from October 4. Prosecutors bringing charges against three Pakistani cricketers and a sports agent accused of taking bribes are seeking to obtain transcripts from an International Cricket Council tribunal. Justice John Saunders set the date on Friday, at the latest hearing into the allegations that predetermined no-balls were bowled during the Lord's Test against England last August. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is keen to look at documentation from the ICC hearing held in Doha earlier this year, where Butt, Asif and Amir were banned from the sport for a minimum of five years. Salman Butt, M Asif and M Aamir and their agent Mazhar Majeed have been charged with conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments. They were not at Southwark crown court on Friday. The case centres on allegations that the players received money for deliberately bowling no-balls at predetermined times. Prosecutors said that they are trying to obtain transcripts from part of the International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal that led to the three each being banned from the sport for at least five years. Salman Butt, who was Pakistan's captain during last year's series, received a further suspended five-year ban and Asif, like Amir a fast bowler, was given a further two-year suspended sanction. Majeed is accused of accepting 150,000 during a sting by undercover newspaper reporters, to arrange for the players to bowl no-balls. Accepting corrupt payments is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Cheating is an offence under the Gambling Act 2005 and carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.