THE three Pakistan players in the dock for spot-fixing have been hit with a staggering 23 charges after a News of the World undercover investigation.
Skipper Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir stand accused of involvement in a multi-million pound betting scam organised by 'fixer' Mazhar Majeed.
And the International Cricket Council charges run to a massive SIX pages per player. We have also learned Butt had previously been warned FIVE times about his duty to report illegal approaches before the latest betting scandal.
The three players and Majeed are the subject of a Scotland Yard investigation, with the Pakistan stars also facing the wrath of an ICC desperate to save their sport's battered reputation.
Test captain Butt and veteran bowler Asif both face life bans, although there is a growing sense among ICC top brass that 18-year-old Amir should be dealt with more leniently.
They have all been charged under Article 2 of the ICC's anti-corruption code, with Butt's charge sheet the longest of the three. In total, the charges run to 18 pages which were handed to the players on Thursday night after the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit swooped.
Pakistan's one-day skipper Shahid Afridi yesterday apologised for the conduct of his former team-mates on the eve of Sunday's Twenty20 clash in Cardiff. But his apology is unlikely to save the career of Butt.
Pakistan insist NOTHING will stop them completing their tour, while England bosses will take a final decision this morning on the wisdom of carrying on.
England's T20 skipper Paul Collingwood said: "If I was approached by anybody, I would certainly tell somebody about it."
