Zardari, Gilani express disappointment at match-fixing scandal

Pakistan's top leadership on Sunday expressed disappointment and concern over a fresh match-fixing scandal involving some of the country's cricketers and sought a report on the issue from the cricket board.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed disappointment at the scandal and directed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt to immediately submit a preliminary report about the incident.

Zardari, who is patron of the PCB, had taken note of the reports of match-fixing and directed officials to keep him updated about developments and the status of any inquiry that may have been ordered or held in London, said presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

Expressing concern at the development, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the incident had forced Pakistanis to hang their heads in shame.

Talking to reporters in his hometown of Multan, he described the incident as "shameful".

Gilani said he would ask sports authorities to launch an inquiry into the allegations of match-fixing.

The scam was exposed by the tabloid News of the World, which reported that bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif delivered three deliberate no-balls in an ongoing Test against England in line with the predictions of alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed.

Majeed allegedly received 150,000 pounds from the tabloid's undercover reporters posing as members of a gambling cartel.