The International Cricket Council has suggested the Pakistan players alleged to be involved in the recent betting scam should be banned.

Scotland Yard are still investigating whether Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir had any contact with an illegal bookmaker to ‘fix’ the occurrence of no-balls at particular times. Captain Salman Butt has also been implicated.

The ICC’s Haroon Lorgat said while the investigations are taking place,
pacemen Asif and Amir should sit out the remainder of the tour of England.

“Our preference would be they (Asif and Amir) don’t play,” Lorgat told BBC Sport.

“I think the logical thing for anybody would be that they do not partake because they have been, allegedly, involved in these corrupt practices.”
However, Pakistan spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said that no player would be suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board unless they were found guilty of corruption.

“Chairman Ijaz Butt told me that since there is a case going on with the Scotland Yard we are not going to suspend any player,” Sarwar told AFP.

“He further said that this is only an allegation so far. There is still no charge of proof on that account. So at this stage, there will be no action taken.”

General director of the Pakistan cricket team, Javed Miandad, has sensationally called for the squad to be sent home and to be replaced for the remainder of the tour by the next-best players available.

“It will be tough for the players to handle this pressure as they will not be in the right frame of mind,” Miandad said.

“It’s better that they should be replaced with new players, and I think we have enough talented players in reserve.”

Miandad is a former senior captain and coach of the Pakistani cricket team, and said he was willing to take over the team should they listen to him and return home.