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A jury found former Pakistan captain Salman Butt guilty of both charges in the spot-fixing trial, while fast bowler Mohammad Asif was found guilty on one charge, after they took 16 hours and 56 minutes to debate the verdicts.
The judge, Justice Cooke, then retired the jury to deliberate further on the second count against Asif. Both players will remain on bail until sentencing on Thursday and Friday.
Butt and Asif were unanimously found guilty on the charge of 'conspiracy to cheat' and Butt was guilty by a 10-2 majority on the charge of 'conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments' following the Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-determined no-balls.
Butt, wearing a velvet jacket and shirt without a tie, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out. He just stared at the jury stony-faced. Asif, wearing a grey winter coat in the dock, was equally unmoved as neither player said a word or made any obvious facial expression.
The jury were unable to reach a verdict on the "accepting corrupt payments' charge in relation to Asif, and Justice Cooke immediately retired them to deliberate some more in case they could reach a verdict on that fourth charge.
Butt and Asif denied the charges. The maximum prison sentence for the acceptance of corrupt payments is seven years in jail, while 'conspiracy to cheat' carries a maximum two-year sentence. Butt's wife is due to have a caesarean section on Tuesday, as they expect a second son.
More to follow
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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