An alleged match-fixer arrested for colluding with Pakistani cricketers, has been caught boasting that January's Sydney Test was rigged, a suspicion that led international cricket's corruption watchdog to launch an investigation.
After the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in which Pakistan lost their last nine wickets for 89 runs to ensure Australia an unlikely 36-run victory the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption and security unit started an investigation into several Pakistani players.
The probe will now include revelations four Pakistani players were embroiled in a betting scandal uncovered by a News of the World sting during the fourth Test against England at Lord's.
Mazhar Majeed, a London-based player-agent, was arrested by Scotland Yard officers yesterday after he was filmed accepting 150,000 ($A260,000) to arrange for Pakistani fast bowlers, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, to bowl no-balls at specific periods within the match.
His predictions of exactly when three no-balls would be bowled transpired as promised.
Majeed was also videoed telling the undercover reporter, ''Let me tell you the last Test we did. It was the second Test against Australia in Sydney. Australia had two more wickets left. They had a lead of 10 runs, yeah. And Pakistan had all their wickets remaining.
''The odds for Pakistan to lose that match, for Australia to win that match, were I think 40-1. We let them get up to 150 then everyone lost their wickets.
''That one we made 1.3 [million] ($A2.2million). But that's what I mean, you can get up to a million. Tests is where the biggest money is because those situations arise.''
Majeed is known to have been in Australia during Pakistan's tour, during which they lost every game; three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20.
He has been in regular contact with the Pakistan team in England, despite management issuing an official warning to players not to associate with Majeed or his brother Azhar Majeed.
The pair, who say they act as sponsorship managers for the players and set up deals with English brands, were banned from entering the players' rooms and were asked to leave the team hotel by a security official during the third Test at the Oval.
Azhar Majeed last night denied his brother was involved in match-fixing.
''You don't laugh at things like that, but I thought it was just rubbish,'' he said.
''I saw the video of Mazhar sitting there counting out money on the table. They are alleging it was for match-fixing ... I have absolutely no idea about it whatsoever.
''I'm extremely worried. Nothing like this has ever happened to us. Ever. I have no idea as to what happened and what's led to him counting out that money.'' Of the hotel incident, he said, ''Security kept on hassling me, and I couldn't understand what it was for, the reason I was top of the list [of people banned from players' rooms].
''I couldn't understand why. I found it a bit ludicrous for him to be chucking me out of hotel. Politely I went, but I have absolutely nothing to hide.''
The News of the World said the footage proved members of the Pakistan team, including the captain, Salman Butt, and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, were guilty of spot fixing rigging specific outcomes for the purposes of betting. All four could face life bans.
In the late 1990s, Pakistan captain Salim Malik, South Africa's Hansie Cronje and India's Mohammad Azharuddin were banned for life for match-fixing.
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