PCB demands access to 'fix' probe

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

KARACHI (August 30 2010): Pakistan cricket chiefs on Sunday requested British police give them access to the Test match betting investigation, adding that both the country's president and prime minister will be kept informed. Charges of spot-fixing against some Pakistan players during the Lord's Test, which England won by an innings and 225 runs on Sunday, have rocked the sport.

The investigation followed claims by an alleged fixer in the News of the World newspaper that he persuaded some Pakistani players to under-perform and bowl no-balls during the Test. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the British Foreign Office has been asked to help them access the investigation.

"The PCB has requested the British Foreign Office to allow access for the Pakistan High Commission and the PCB to the ongoing investigation after the arrest of the British businessman of Asian origin for conspiracy to defraud bookmakers," a statement said.

The PCB said it has reported the matter to President Asif Zardari, who is also the patron of the PCB, and to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani. President Zardari and Prime Minister Gillani have already ordered a separate inquiry in their own country.

"The Metropolitan Police have informed the International Cricket Council, the England and Wales Cricket Board and the PCB that their investigations continue with the involvement of the ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit, and all parties are fully assisting those enquiries," said the PCB.