PCB, Pak envoy in UK preparing strong defence for 'tainted' players

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in UK is reportedly working with a team of legal experts to prepare a strong defence for the 'tainted' players embroiled in the 'spot-fixing' scandal.

- The Match-Fixing Episode II

According to The News, PCB officials and PHC diplomats have agreed to back captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who have strongly denied all charges against them.

Sources said that senior PHC officials are confident that the three players can prove their innocence through the legal process.

The High Commission is also believed to be preparing a case against the News of The World, which carried out a sting operation to unearth the 150,000-pound betting scam.

Sources added that PCB's legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi and Pakistan's Additional Attorney General KK Agha are on board, but British lawyers are preparing the case.

"Hectic efforts are being made to prepare a defamation suit against the tabloid on behalf of the three Pakistani cricketers," the newspaper quoted a source, as saying.

"The decision has been taken following a meeting between the players and Pakistan's High Commissioner," the source added.

Earlier, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, had said that the video evidence against the players may not be genuine.

"Were the videos timed, were they dated... do you have the answers to these questions?" Hasan had said.

When asked whether he thought that the players might have been set up, Hasan said: "Yes, I would say that."

However, News of The World denied the charges and said: "The News of the World refuses to respond to such ludicrous allegations."