The Pakistani cricket team admitted that it deliberately bowled "no balls" in return for payment of £150,000 from a supposed consortium of greedy Asian men, but defended this on the ground that the money, after deduction of players' fees, will go to a charity set up to help flood victims.
The scandal broke yesterday when it was revealed that a journalist for the News of the World had secretly filmed a Pakistani broker accepting money from him to get the Pakistani players to bowl no balls and lose the game. Pakistani team officials initially denied the claims, then blamed India, and now finally admitted that the match was fixed, but that it was done for a good cause so it is okay.
The unnamed official added that the team is taking requests to throw games, sing Swanee River or moon at the crowd. "Anything for a good cause", he said. A flat fee of £150,000 will be charged but "most of this or at least some of this will go to help victims of the floods back home."
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban have indicated that their recent run of defeats against US and Pakistani forces was deliberate and that they have been throwing battles for years.
