Bookie Majeed says Butt wanted him to fix matches

Mazhar Majeed in a testimony in a UK court on Wednesday, said that former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt wanted him to fix matches. The bookie though said he was aware that he will go to prison and that he regrets the shame. The sentencing will take place on Thursday.

Majeed's allegations put the blame firmly on Butt who was pronounced guilty by a jury on Tuesday for having conspired to cheat and accept corrupt payments. The bookie told the court on Wednesday that it was the former skipper who asked him to help him fix certain matches.

Majeed also confessed that while he had taken 150,000 pounds from the News of the World reporter, he had paid 77,000pounds to the three cricketers including Mohammad Amir and Asif. "I was an arranger for the cricketers, not their corrupter," he is believed to have said in the court. He told the court that the maximum amount, 65,000 pounds was paid to Asif and so, he remained loyal.

There was an Indian connect to the proceedings too as Majeed said he was introduced to Butt by an Indian contact named Sanjay. Details on it are awaited.

Majeed, the bookie in the middle of the infamous spot-fixing controversy, had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to cheat and to obtain corrupt payments during the Test match between Pakistan and England in August 2010, in a pre-trial in September but court-order had placed reporting restrictions.