Pakistan spot-betting scandal throws cricket into crisis

The betting scandal involving the Pakistan cricket team, centring on Mohammad Amir, pictured, threatens to throw cricket into turmoil. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

Scotland Yard detectives have confiscated the mobile phones of three of the Pakistan cricket team's leading players as part of an investigation into one of the biggest betting scandals in the sport's history that is threatening to engulf the game.

The cricketers, captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, were questioned along with wicket keeper Kamran Akmal by detectives following allegations that they were involved in a betting scandal during the Lord's Test match won by England today. As well as the phones, detectives took away documents and other possessions in plastic bags.

Police have contacted the Crown Prosecution Service, and officers from the Met's economic and specialist crime command are leading the investigation.

The allegations centre on the timing of three no-balls – where the bowler oversteps the line – delivered by Amir and Asif during the game. Undercover reporters from the News of the World, posing as representatives of a "far east gambling cartel", allegedly paid a middleman £150,000 and in return were told exactly when the balls would be bowled.

Today Butt refused to be drawn on the allegations during a news conference but insisted he and his team-mates had "given our best … "I would say that everybody in this team has given 100%".

The England captain, Andrew Strauss, said he was "absolutely astonished" by the allegations. "There was no prior warning or anything like that … First astonished, then pretty saddened straight away."

Pakistan are due to play a number of Twenty20 and one-day games as part of the tour and their team manager, Yawar Saeed, insisted the fixtures would go ahead.

But Strauss said it was too early to say what impact the allegations would have and officials from the ECB, led by the chairman, Giles Clarke, were due to enter 24 hours of urgent talks with their Pakistan counterparts.

Strauss said: "I honestly think the best thing to do is let the dust settle on this. It's all new and raw and it's easy to get quite emotional ... I think for all of us it's best to see how things pan out."

The alleged fixer, 35-year-old Mazhar Majeed from Croydon, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers. He was last night released on bail without being charged.

drive from www.guardian.co.uk