Over 80 different international cricket matches are to be investigated following claims that a businessman from London has been fixing matches. Mazhar Majeed was arrested following allegations that he rigged a test match between Pakistan and England. Majeed was released on bail but will appear before police in the near future.
It appears that Scotland Yard may have been made aware of the match-fixing about a month ago. Reportedly, the force was tipped off in a test match between Pakistan and England at Trent Bridge. Several players from Pakistan were questioned about the rigging after claims that Majeed had ordered them to corrupt the match.
According to a sting done by a tabloid newspaper, Majeed said that a racket had been set up with seven players. He has apparently been running the racket for several years and made large sums of money. Majeed reportedly asked two of the Pakistan players to do a delivery of no-balls on purpose, and they did exactly that at the times that was mentioned in the report. This rigging would allow betting syndicates to place best and make him large amounts of money.
The International Cricket Council will use its anti-corruption unit to investigate the matches during the time in which Majeed was said to have been rigging the matches, according to sources. The Metropolitan Police will work alongside them, further investigating the claims of deliberate no-balls done by the players from Pakistan. Detectives have searched their hotel and taken their mobile phones, and several players associated with the team have been questioned.
Suspicious have also been raised over early test matches at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston. Since these reports have come out, Pakistan players have been reportedly booed by their supporters, but people close to Majeed insist that the allegations are untrue.
