Spot-fixing tribunal nears verdict

Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif could find out today if they will face punishment for alleged spot-fixing.

The three Pakistan players, who are alleged to have delivered no balls to order in a Test against England at Lord's in August, have spent the last six days before a full hearing of an Independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal in Doha. The tribunal is due to conclude today.

The trio were all charged with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code. They all deny any wrongdoing, but have been provisionally suspended since the allegations came to light in the days following the Test.

Butt, Amir and Asif have appeared before a three-man committee made up of chairman Michael Beloff QC, South African Justice Albie Sachs and Sharad Rao, a Kenyan member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

At the hearing, the players have faced cross-examination as they sought to defend themselves on the charges. A verdict would bring to a close a scandal that has rocked Pakistan and world cricket since the News of the World published a story claiming businessman Mazhar Majeed accepted 150,000 to arrange for Butt, Asif and Amir to deliberately bowl no-balls.