Jury out in Pakistan spot-fixing trial

The jury in the spot-fixing trial of former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif were sent home for the night on Thursday and will continue their deliberations on Friday.

The jury in the spot-fixing trial of Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif were sent home for the night on Thursday and will continue their deliberations on Friday. © AFP

Prosecutors allege that Butt, 27, and Asif, 28, conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and bowler Mohammad Aamer to deliver three intentional no-balls during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

Butt and Asif have both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling.

Over three weeks of evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the jury of six men and six women has heard that there are huge sums to be made by fixing parts of matches, known as spot-fixing, for gambling syndicates.

Butt and Asif were charged after allegations about their involvement in spot-fixing appeared in the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, owned by Australian-born media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Lord's Test.

The trial judge, Justice Jeremy Cooke, finished his summing-up of the case on Thursday before sending the jury out to start their deliberations.

Majeed and Aamer are facing the same charges but are not standing trial.