Cricket: Pakistan investigates cricketers' assets

The Pakistan government will investigate the assets of past and present cricketers after the International Cricket Council charged and suspended three Pakistan players over allegations of match-fixing.

Leading Urdu language daily Jang reported that the Federal Bureau of Revenue has instructed all its regional officers to collect details of bank accounts, assets and even the number of cars in the possession of players who have represented Pakistan over the last five years.

An FBR official, Israr Rauf, was quoted by the paper as saying the Pakistan Cricket Board will also be asked to submit its expenses for the players, selectors, coaches and managers.

Pakistan team manager Shafqat Rana praised the initiative.

"I think it is a good thing from the Pakistani government," Rana said. "It was in their minds as well before we came over. It will bring things out so they will be very careful. (One-day captain) Shahid (Afridi) is of the same opinion that it should be done and that it's good for cricket."

The ICC last week charged and suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir over allegations of match fixing, first raised in the News of the World newspaper. They were accused of conspiring with bookmakers to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth test against England at Lords. The three have also been questioned by British police.

The News of the World also claimed on Sunday that a fourth Pakistan player is being investigated by the ICC, but that he cannot be named for legal reasons. The ICC has refused to comment on the report.

The News of the World said the three suspended players face a total of 23 charges from the ICC. It also alleged that at least 10,000 pounds ($15,400) of the marked bank notes the newspaper gave to middleman Mazhar Majeed in return for knowing when no-balls would be bowled in the recent test series against England had been recovered from Butt's room.