LONDON:Banned former Pakistan batsman Nasir Jamshed has been charged in Britain with bribery offences as part of an investigation into spot-fixing in cricket, the National Crime Agency said on Thursday.
Jamshed and two British nationals – Yousaf Anwar and Mohammed Ijaz – were served with written summonses, charging them each with two counts of bribery, said a spokesman for the NCA.
The three men were arrested in February 2017 as part of an investigation that related to tournaments organized by national cricket boards from Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The three men will appear at Manchester magistrates' court on January 15 each charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
An NCA spokesman said all of the alleged offences related to tournaments that took place overseas, including the Pakistan Super League in 2017.
Jamshed was not in the national team at the time of the alleged offences, the spokesman said.
Spot-fixing refers to illegal activity in a sport where a specific part of a game is fixed, unlike match-fixing, where the whole result is fixed.
Jamshed played two Tests, 48 one-day internationals and 18 T20s for Pakistan until 2015.
In October, a Pakistan cricket tribunal upheld a 10-year ban on the former opening batsman over his role in various fixing scandals that hit the Pakistan Super League.
Three Pakistan players were involved in a spot-fixing scandal during a 2010 Test in England.
An English court subsequently sentenced Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt to jail terms, with the players also given five-year worldwide bans from cricket.
Mohammad Amir has since returned to the Pakistan team and is in the squad currently on tour in South Africa.
Pakistan's Jamshed charged over bribery offences
Pakistan's Jamshed charged over bribery offences
- Jamshed, along with two other cricketers, will appear at Manchester magistrates' court on January 15
- Pakistani cricketers have also remained involved in spot-fixing scandals in the past
Real Sociedad end Barca winning streak to tighten Liga title race
- The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Real Sociedad damaged Barcelona’s title defense ambitions as Goncalo Guedes gave them a surprise 2-1 La Liga victory on Sunday as Hansi Flick’s side fell to a first defeat in 12 matches.
The Catalan giants, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now only lead rivals Real Madrid by a single point at the top of the table after Alvaro Arbeloa’s side beat Levante on Saturday.
Hosts Real Sociedad, now unbeaten in four games under new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, had Carlos Soler sent off late on but managed to hold on to triumph and climb up to eighth.
“I think we deserved to win today, we had a lot of chances, but in the end you have to put them away,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told DAZN.
“We played well but we didn’t win... their goalkeeper had a very good game.”
Sociedad shot-stopper Alex Remiro made several crucial saves.
“Three great points and a great game,” said Remiro.
“We’ve started this year in great form... this is the energy we have, how we’ve changed (recently).”
In a frantic start to a compelling game at the rainy Reale Arena, both teams had goals ruled out.
La Real had the ball in the net inside 30 seconds when Mikel Oyarzabal headed home Guedes’s cross, but had strayed offside.
At the other end, Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez drilled home from range but Dani Olmo had committed a foul in the build-up and it was ruled out.
With teenage winger Lamine Yamal keen to take on defenders, Barca got in often down the right flank. The 18-year-old teed up Olmo who fired high over the bar when he might have sent the Catalans ahead.
Yamal found the net himself but the goal was ruled out for an extremely tight offside, before Real Sociedad took the lead against the run of play.
Oyarzabal lashed home Guedes’s cross with a blistering volley inside Joan Garcia’s near post.
Yamal was felled just inside the area before half-time but although the referee pointed to the spot, a VAR review showed that the youngster was offside again and it was canceled out.
Remiro heroics
Barcelona turned up the pressure in the second half and Real Sociedad were left depending on Remiro and the frame of the goal to keep the Catalans at bay.
Olmo crashed a shot against the post from Lopez’s cross and then Remiro denied the Barca midfielder with a fine near-post save.
Remiro then tipped substitute Robert Lewandowski’s header against the crossbar with the save of the night.
Another Barca substitute, Marcus Rashford, eventually pulled the champions level, heading Yamal’s cross home after 70 minutes.
However, the hosts immediately regained their advantage after Barca goalkeeper Garcia initially saved Carlos Soler’s shot. The midfielder was able to gather the rebound and cross for Guedes, who fired La Real ahead again.
They should have got a third when Garcia, out of his goal, had no chance of saving Oyarzabal’s effort but Pau Cubarsi headed the ball off the line.
Barcelona came within centimeters of an equalizer when Joao Cancelo, on his second debut for the club, crossed for Jules Kounde, who headed against the crossbar.
Soler was dismissed for an ugly foul on Pedri before nine minutes of stoppage time were added on.
Rashford hit the post directly from a corner kick as Barca pushed until the end but could not find a way through.
