Scotland Yard detectives have discovered mobile text exchanges between Mazhar Majeed, the agent who masterminded the spot fixing scam, and fixers in Dubai, India and Britain. Majeed was reportedly in contact with a number of fixers, arranging the rigging of play during two Tests against Australia and all four Tests with England.
He seems directly to implicate Salman Butt and Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal in a series of messages the judge ruled inadmissible as evidence, The Telegraph reports. Majeed tried to cover his crime by deleting the texts, but Scotland Yard detectives managed to retrieve many of them.
The head of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit, former Indian policeman Ravi Sawani,said that the trial betting syndicates were run by “mafia and underworld dons” in Mumbai and Dubai who make millions from India’s illegal betting industry. The ICC is now set to launch a new investigation based on the police evidence.
Majeed’s texts discuss fixing 'brackets’, a scoring rate during a 10-over span, and pitch conditions. He also appears to call off one arrangement because Butt had been dismissed by England. All of the apparent scams occur before the Lord’s Test at the end of August, the last of the summer and the centrepiece of the prosecution’s case.
One message was sent by an unknown fixer in the UK to Majeed on July 12, the day before the first Test against Australia at Lord’s.
The text suggests Majeed was arranging the fixing of a bracket at the start of Australia’s innings. It read: “Bro, just spoke to Sanjay. Bowling first, they should bowl in tandem first for at least first eight overs. Give away a minimum of 47 runs, in first 10 overs please.” The police believe 'they’ refers to Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.
Five days later a suspected fixer in India, believed to be called Raj, reportedly texted Majeed about Butt becoming Test captain and asked about conditions for the second Test at Headingley. The texts read: “Congratulations on the captaincy of Butt”, and: “What is the wicket like? Enough grass left?”
