Match-fixing accused were 'set-up'

Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain has claimed that the three cricketers facing match-fixing allegations were "set up".

Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer yesterday insisted they were innocent as they withdrew from the remaining games in their team's tour of England.

Wajid Hasan, the Pakistani High Commissioner in London, said he believed the trio played no part in an alleged plot to bowl no-balls to order during Pakistan's fourth Test defeat at Lord's. He went on to cast doubt on video evidence about the allegations, saying: "We are not seeing on the video what the date or what the time is. Do you have answers to these questions?"

Asked if he thought the players had been "set up", Mr Hasan said: "Yes, I would say that."

The three players were questioned by police at the weekend at their London hotel and had their mobile phones confiscated.

It was reported on Sunday that journalists posing as Far Eastern businessmen paid a middleman 150,000 to arrange for Pakistan players to deliberately bowl no-balls in last week's fourth test.