Butt, Asif found guilty of spot-fixing

LONDON, Nov 1 (AFP): Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty Tuesday of involvement in a "spot-fixing" betting scam during a match against England last year. Butt, 27, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling, while Asif, 28, was found of conspiracy to cheat. Prosecutors alleged that they conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and fast bowler Mohammad Aamer to deliver three intentional no-balls during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010. The pair were charged after allegations about their involvement in spot-fixing appeared in the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, owned by Australian-born media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Lord's Test. Butt and Asif had both pleaded not guilty. They sat in silence in the dock as the jury delivered their verdicts, after spending nearly 17 hours in deliberations over four days at court, during which the judge said he was prepared to accept a 10-2 majority verdict. The jury have not yet decided whether Asif is guilty of the second charge of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments. The pair could face jail sentences of up to seven years.