London, Nov 3 (IANS) The following is a factfile on Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and bookie Mazhar Majeed, who have been jailed in England on match-fixing charges:
* Salman Butt: The flamboyant opening batsman was appointed Pakistan’s Test captain in July 2010. The 26-year-old succeeded Shahid Afridi, who stepped down after just one match in charge after losing the first of two Tests against Australia in 2010.
The polished 26-year-old left-hander made his debut way back in 2003, but it took sometime for him to find his feet in international cricket. He was inconsistent in his early days before finding a regular place in 2007.
Butt averaged 30.43 from 30 Tests, but he has been more successful in the shorter version, scoring 2,725 ODI runs at an average of 36.82, including eight centuries.
* Mohammad Asif: Controversy has always surrounded the right-arm medium pacer. He was twice suspended after testing positive for banned substances. One of the bans was later overturned. He was also detained in Dubai for suspected possession of drugs.
A crafty swing bowler, Asif delivers at a military medium pace but has the rare ability to move the ball both ways.
The 28-year-old has been in and out of the Pakistan team since his Test debut in Jan 2005 against Australia. He, along with Umar Gul, forged a formidable pace pairing.
In 23 Tests, he has 106 Test wickets at an average of 24.36. He was ranked third in the ICC bowling rankings during the Test series against England.
He bowled one of the three no-balls, which led to the investigation, during the controversial Lord’s Test between Pakistan and England.
* Mohammad Amir: The promising quickie is only 19 years old. The left-arm paceman became the youngest bowler in Test history to take 50 wickets.
Infact, his best figures of 6-84 came in England’s only innings in the Lord’s Test.
He made both his Test and One-day debuts in July 2009 and has gone on to claim 51 Test wickets at an average of just 29 runs. He has 25 wickets in One-day Internationals.
Amir has a whippy action that enables him to swing the ball both ways at a lively pace that can touch 90mph.
Amir bowled two Of the three no-balls in question during the fourth Test at Lord’s Aug 26.
* Mazhar Majeed: The man at the centre of the controversy, is a British-based property tycoon. Along with his brother and business partner Azhar, Majeed he claims to manage several of Pakistan’s leading players.
This close relationship between Majeed and the players appears to have concerned Pakistani authorities, who disallowed agents in players’ hotel rooms.
Majhar, along with his wife and another man, were also arrested by customs officers over claims he has laundered tens of millions of pounds through non-League football club Croydon Athletic.
