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Tainted Pak trio to miss Somerset game

September 01, 2010 21:04 IST

Pakistan's tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir will miss the team's practice game against Somerset on Thursday as they face another round of interrogation from Scotland Yard amid growing calls for their ouster from the ODI series against England.

The trio left Taunton for London on Wednesday accompanied by a security officer and are expected to have an emergency meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board officials, besides being questioned by Scotland Yard sleuths on their alleged role in the 'spot-fixing' scandal that has rocked world cricket.

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The ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat is also said to have met PCB chairman Ijaz Butt during the day to discuss the scandal in the backdrop of England's players' body demanding the ouster of tainted cricketers from the Twenty20 and ODI series.

The trio implicated in the scandal after a sting operation by a British tabloid are set to be quizzed by Scotland Yard for the second time but are not in danger of being arrested, a Pakistan Cricket Board official said.

Their meeting with Pakistan High Commission officials in London has, however, been postponed to Thursday. They will miss Pakistan's practice match against Somerset as it will clash with their meeting with the PCB and High Commission officials.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said no player has been charged as yet nor any case registered against them and they are available for the forthcoming Twenty20 and one-day series.

"As it stands now, the players have only been questioned by Scotland Yard. No one has been charged neither has Scotland Yard found any incriminating evidence against any player," a PCB official said.

"We have hired a barrister to assist the players and will be present when they meet with Scotland Yard detectives today. The questioning is part of routine investigation but all the players who are being questioned are available for selection and play in the coming series," he added.

The Pakistan high commission has also asked Scotland Yard to provide it with a preliminary report on the investigations.

The investigations are still on but England's Professional Cricketers Association wants the three to be dropped immediately so that the remaining tour does not become a "sideshow" to the murky scandal.

PCA chief executive Angus Porter said England players want the International Cricket Council to take decisive action before Sunday's Twenty20 International at Cardiff.

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