Ahmed Rizvi examines the charges and allegations against Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif in the spot-fixing scandal.
Salman Butt
According to the News of the World, "[Mazhar] Majeed identified young Pakistan captain Salman Butt as the ringleader of the band of cheats."
Butt, along with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, was on the radar of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) before the scandal broke. The ACSU had sent him and Akmal notices after the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.
The notices might have been related to the text messages exchanged between Majeed and Butt before the match against South Africa. According to media reports, Majeed sent Butt text messages on three different mobile numbers, which were registered in England, Dubai and the West Indies - the last number was reportedly provided to the player by the team management.
In the first SMS, Majeed asked Butt if he talked with "that person", to which Butt replied "yes".
In the second SMS, Majeed wanted to know what Butt thought about the "second thing, first [wicket] in seventh [over] and second in eighth [over]".
In the third SMS, he asked Butt to confirm about losing a wicket each in the seventh and eighth over.
Mohammad Aamer, according to media reports, has also told teammates that he was just doing what Butt had asked him to.
Mohammad Aamer
The News of the World alleged that Aamer delivered no-balls just as Majeed had promised. He overstepped the line when bowling the first ball of the third over of the innings by a big margin.
"You don't see that too often," Ian Botham, the former England all-rounder commenting on TV, said at the time when Aamer was bowling to Alastair Cook.
"How far was that, woah," commented Michael Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, after Aamer's second no-ball. "It's like net bowling," Botham said.
This was the third no-ball that Majeed had promised the undercover reporter. Butt did have a word with Aamer just before that ball and Holding said on TV: "A quick conference between captain and the bowler. Hasn't resulted in the field being changed. Not yet."
Aamer finished the innings with five wickets, including three in the space of nine balls and after the day's play, rather ironically now, he said: "At Lord's, I wanted my name on the (honours) board and I did it."
After being accused, the 18-year-old, according to Pakistan media reports, confessed to team management that he was "completely unaware of what was going on" and had "just followed Butt's instructions".
In the News of the World tapes, though, Majeed is seen calling Aamer on the eve of the match and saying, "We've spoken about everything before anyway."
Before the start of the second day's play, Majeed contacts the undercover reporter again and says, "He's [Aamer] briefed up. He's just texted me now to say 'Shall I do it or not?'."
Mohammad Asif
Asif, who had been suspended in 2006 failing a dope test and was arrested at Dubai airport for possession of drugs, has been the quietest of the three since the spot-fixing story broke. He opted out of the appeal against suspension in October and has maintained a low profile since. The seamer was the No 2 bowler in the ICC's Test rankings when he was suspended.
Asif is accused of deliberately bowling a no-ball.
"These three are definitely happening," Majeed tells the undercover reporter on the News of the World tapes. "They've all been organised, okay? ... the tenth over. Who's bowling it?" asks the reporter. "Asif will be bowling it," replies Majeed.
Asif did bowl the no-ball at the time promised by Majeed, but he did not overstep as blatantly as Aamer.
"The one at my end from Asif was not a helluva lot over," umpire Tony Hill, who officiated at the Lord's Test, told the Dominion Post.
"He is generally pretty accurate [with his front foot]."
