London, Sep 10 (IANS) Three Pakistani cricketers, who have been provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on charges of alleged spot-fixing, have been granted permission by the Metropolitan Police to fly back home.
The trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer will leave for Pakistan Friday.
Police said the men had agreed to return to assist the inquiry in ‘due course’.
‘We can confirm that we have been made aware that the three Pakistani cricketers interviewed under caution Friday September 3 intend to leave the United Kingdom today and have given an undertaking through their solicitor to return to assist the Metropolitan Police Service inquiry in due course,’ a police spokesman was quoted as saying in The Daily Mail.
Their solicitors Addleshaw Goddard released a statement, on behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
‘The Metropolitan Police has been notified that Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt will return to Pakistan later this morning.
‘The players are looking forward to being reunited with their families. They remain available to co-operate fully with the police investigation and have each given undertakings to return to the UK if required to do so,’ the statement read.
The statement also denied reports that Asif will seek asylum in the UK.
Pakistan, meanwhile, were set to continue their tour of England with the first Natwest Series match against their hosts in Chester-le-Street.
The cricketers were left out of the squad for the two Twenty20 internationals at Cardiff and for the forthcoming five-match one-day series prior to the ICC provisionally suspending them while their own investigation into the claims is ongoing.
Pakistan admitted Thursday that fast bowler Wahab Riaz will be the latest player to be questioned by police investigating the spot-fixing allegations surrounding the Lord’s Test.
