Pakistani match fixing drama takes an unexpected twist

3 Sep 2010

To an unexpected twist to the controversial drama that has hit the Pakistani cricket team, new allegations have emerged that the three players who have been accused of match fixing could have been set up.

The allegations come from the country's high commissioner Wajid Shamsul could be potential life line for Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, all of whom are currently under police investigation for corruption.

Shamsul has made bold claims which assert that the video, exposed by the News of the World, which has been used to condemn the three men, was made after the incident had happened.

Butt, Asif and Amir stand accused of intentionally throwing no-balls at specified times in order set up 'spot betting' fixes for an unnamed third party.

The shamed cricketers will miss the rest of Pakistan's tour of England and the drama has sparked outcry in their native country.

The calls for punishment against the accused have been numerous and fierce, with many people calling for a jail-term for the three players as a minimum, while others believe a much harsher punishment is required.

Many Pakistani's believe that the incident is a betrayal of their national identity in relation to their global neighbours, with consequences that reach far beyond the sport which gave birth to it.

Meanwhile,  Pakistan's team manager Yawar Saeed has been trying to maintain a degree a normality in the wake of the accusations and has insisted that the players who will not be participating in the tour are doing so of their own volition.

"They maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches," said Saeed.

William Hill, Paddy Power and Sporting Bet offer 11/8 odds that Pakistan will triumph when they meet England in the upcoming Twenty20.