Cricket players suspended in 'fix' probe

LONDON, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Pakistani cricket player Mohammad Amir has been questioned in an alleged match-fixing scheme in London, officials say.

Scotland Yard detectives questioned Amir, 18, over claims he and two other members of his cricket team conspired to throw a match Thursday against England, reports in two London newspapers said Friday.

Salman Butt, team captain, and Mohammad Asif, another player on the team, were also scheduled to be questioned Friday, The Daily Telegraph said.

The International Cricket Council has suspended all three.

Another man, Mazhar Majeed,35, was also allegedly involved. He was arrested and released earlier in the week, the newspaper said.

Allegations of regular game-fixing in the sport circulated before Scotland Yard started its investigation and included reports that the ICC's anti-corruption group did little to stop it, The Guardian said.

Ronnie Flanagan, the former Northern Ireland police chief now in charge of the ICC anti-corruption and security unit, said claims of widespread game-fixing are untrue.

Fixing matches is "not a contagion that's widespread throughout cricket," Flanagan said.

Flanagan said he had been cooperating in the Scotland Yard investigation.

The ICC could impose a lifetime ban on the suspended players if they are found guilty of throwing matches, reports said.