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LONDON, England — Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt has withdrawn his statements linking England's team with deliberately losing a One-Day International earlier this month. Butt had said he had heard from bookmakers that England's players were paid to throw the third match of the One-Day Series against Pakistan on September 17.
The England team had threatened Butt with legal action unless he apologised for making the accusations.
"I never intended to question the behaviour and integrity of the England players nor the ECB nor to suggest that any of them were involved in any corrupt practices or in a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket," Butt is quoted as saying in a joint statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board and the PCB yesterday.
"In particular, I wish to make it clear that I have never seen any evidence of any wrongdoing by any England player or the ECB at any time."
Butt flew to England on Tuesday for discussions with his lawyers and met with the ECB yesterday.
"I deeply and sincerely regret that my statements have been interpreted to cast doubt upon the good names of the England players and the ECB and hope that this public withdrawal will draw a line under the matter," Butt said in the statement.
The ECB and England's players welcomed the withdrawal of the allegations and "regard the matter closed", the statement added.
Butt's allegations against England came after an investigation was opened by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following claims the scoring in Pakistan's innings in the third one-dayer was prearranged.
Pakistan won the game at The Oval after a late-order collapse by England, keeping the series alive at 2-1 and leading Butt to accuse England of deliberately losing their wickets.
It was the latest incident to tarnish Pakistan's scandal-hit tour of England, which was mired in controversy from the moment three players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir -- were accused of "spot-fixing" allegations in the fourth Test at Lord's at the start of August.
The three players were alleged by British tabloid News of the World to have ensured no-balls were bowled to order to facilitate a gambling syndicate. The trio were charged and provisionally suspended by the ICC under its anti-corruption code, but they maintain their innocence.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed yesterday that Salman Butt has appealed against his suspension.
Events over the past two months have inflamed relations between the two teams, with England's players saying they were outraged by Ijaz Butt's accusations. The England team came close to refusing to play the fourth One-Day International at Lord's, but went ahead for the fans and for the good of the game.
Butt said the countries' cricket boards will remain close, despite the recent controversies.
"The ECB and its chairman have been and continue to be a friend of and hugely supportive of Pakistan cricket," Butt added in the statement.
"I am very grateful for their efforts in that regard and for their hospitality this summer."
ECB chairman Giles Clarke said he will continue as the head of the ICC's Pakistan Task Team now that Ijaz Butt had retracted his allegations.
The task team is looking to help Pakistan stage international cricket at home again. Foreign teams have not toured since March last year when gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team convoy in Lahore, killing six police officials and a driver and wounded several of the players.
