The spotfixing net could widen to include other Pakistan cricketers, with international cricket's governing body set to review all the evidence collated by Scotland Yard in securing the convictions of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt on Tuesday.
While the Crown Prosecution Service chose to focus on the three no-balls bowled at specific points during the fourth Test at Lord's last year in order to secure a conviction, other evidence emerged in court that could provide the basis for further investigations by the International Cricket Council.
"I would reiterate, as I have on every occasion that I have spoken on this matter, that the ICC has a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption and that we will use everything within our power to ensure that any suggestion of corrupt activity within our game is comprehensively investigated and, where appropriate, robustly prosecuted," said the ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, on Tuesday night.
He confirmed that the ICC bans of five years and up given to Butt, Asif and Amir would stand.
It is understood that the ICC anti-corruption and security unit will work with Scotland Yard to review the large file of evidence collected to augment the News of the World's investigation, which includes text messages, phone records and deleted text messages that were later recovered using special software.
{{/usCountry}}It is understood that the ICC anti-corruption and security unit will work with Scotland Yard to review the large file of evidence collected to augment the News of the World's investigation, which includes text messages, phone records and deleted text messages that were later recovered using special software.
{{/usCountry}}Akmal, Riaz in dock?
The ICC could now investigate Pakistan players Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz following the conviction of their former team-mates. Akmal has not played for Pakistan since the World Cup although Riaz is in the squad playing against Sri Lanka. It emerged in the wake of the News of the World spot-fixing revelations that the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit had written earlier in the summer to Butt and Akmal to request phone records covering the period of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
During the court case, it emerged that fixer Mazhar Majeed claimed to the News of the World's undercover reporter that seven Pakistan players were involved in fixing with him, also naming Riaz and Akmal, as well as the batsmen Umar Akmal and Imran Farhat. None of the four has faced criminal charges.