PAKISTAN 'SPOT-FIXING' TIMELINE

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

August 28: News breaks of a cricket corruption story in the following day's News of the World. The newspaper allegations centre on the timing of no-balls delivered during the fourth Test between England and Pakistan, which at this stage is still ongoing.

August 29: A 35-year-old man is arrested in connection with police inquiries into allegations of 'spot-fixing' to defraud illegal bookmakers, as reported by the News of the World.

Police later confirm that cricket agent Mazhar Majeed has been bailed without charge over the allegations.

Pakistan team management confirm that captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer have had their mobile phones confiscated by police.

August 30: A three-man delegation from Pakistan's Federal Investigations Agency is sent to London to probe the claims of spot-fixing.

The International Cricket Council promise to take "swift and decisive action"

if the allegations made against the Pakistan trio are proved.

September 1: Butt, Asif and Aamer travel to London from the team hotel in Taunton for a meeting with the Pakistan High Commission the next day, also attended by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt.

September 2: Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed confirms the trio will miss the Twenty20 and one-day international sections of their ongoing series against England. Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan announces that the players all insist they are innocent of any wrongdoing.

The ICC charge the trio under their anti-corruption code and suspend them until the case is concluded.

September 3: ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirms that Butt, Asif and Aamer were being questioned by police in London. They are later released without charge.

September 4: The News of the World issues news of follow-up allegations to appear in the following day's paper, with Test opener Yasir Hameed reportedly admitting some of his team-mates were involved in fixing "in almost every match". Hameed later claimed he was only repeating allegations he had read in the newspapers.

September 6: Pakistan's limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi welcomes the decision of the Pakistani government to sanction the assistance of the Federal Board of Revenue to scrutinise the financial assets of the country's professional cricketers.

September 9: PCB chairman Ijaz Butt confirms paceman Wahab Riaz will be questioned by police on September 14 as part of the 'spot-fixing' probe.

September 10: Lawyers acting for Salman Butt, Asif and Aamer confirm the trio will leave England for Pakistan immediately.

September 14: Butt, Asif and Aamer write to the ICC indicating their intention to defend themselves in respect of the charges brought against them by the sport's world governing body.

Wahab Riaz interviewed under caution by the police.

September 17: Scotland Yard confirmed a file of evidence on claims that Pakistan cricketers accepted cash bribes to fix matches had been passed to prosecutors.

September 18: The ICC confirm they are investigating a "certain scoring pattern" which occurred during the third one-day international between England and Pakistan at the Oval.

September 19: PCB chairman Butt alleges that some England players claimed "enormous amounts of money" to fix the result of the match at the Oval on September 17.

September 20: England captain Andrew Strauss expresses his "surprise, dismay and outrage" at Butt's remarks and admits he and his team-mates had "strong misgivings" about finishing off the one-day series. The ECB said in a statement that Butt should relay any information he has to the ICC's anti-corruption unit and described his comments as "wholly irresponsible and without foundation".

September 29: Butt apologises for his remarks regarding the England team after the threat of legal action by the ECB.October 6: ICC confirm the appeals of Salman Butt, Aamer and Asif against their provisional suspensions will be heard in Doha on October 30 and 31.

October 22: Asif withdraws appeal against his provisional suspension.