ICC charges three Pakistan players

The International Cricket Council (ICC) charged Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif Thursday under its anti-corruption code.
The sport's world governing body said in a statement that the trio had been provisionally suspended from all forms of cricket and related activities until the case was concluded.

Pakistan withdrew Butt, Amir and Asif from their one-day team earlier Thursday.

I was not approached by any bookie: Ganguly

Police confiscated the three players' mobile phones after allegations in a British newspaper that they taken bribes to fix incidents in the final test against England at Lord's last week.

The players have 14 days from receipt of the charges to ask for a hearing before an independent anti-corruption tribunal.

"We will not tolerate corruption in cricket -- simple as that," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in the statement.

"We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban.

"It is important, however, that we do not pre-judge the guilt of these three players. That is for the independent tribunal alone to decide.'

DRAMATIC DAY

The announcement came at the end of a dramatic day which began with tour manager Yawad Saeed telling reporters before the start of a warmup game against Somerset that the three players had been withdrawn from the one-day series against England.

The trio then attended a meeting at the high commission in London at which they protested their innocence.

Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan told reporters the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had decided to pull them out of the remainder of the tour because of the "mental torture" they had undergone.

Afridi will be under pressure: Akram

However, a source within the Pakistan team told Reuters the ICC had put pressure on the PCB to drop the players while they were under investigation and the England and Wales Cricket Board also lobbied to have them removed.

The London Metropolitan police have been working with the anti-corruption unit after a report in The News of the World newspaper which alleged that Amir and Asif had bowled deliberate no-balls by pre-arrangement in the fourth test against England.

A 35-year-old man arrested as a result of the police investigation on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers was released on police bail.