Pakistan's trio of suspended cricketers face further questioning by British detectives after being told they risk life bans if found guilty of corruption by the ICC.
Test captain Salman Butt and the fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer have been charged under the anti-corruption code of cricket's governing body and provisionally barred from playing.
The three men have insisted they are innocent but have been charged with ''various offences'' under Article 2 of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code relating to alleged irregular behaviour during and in relation to the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's last month.
If found guilty of corruption under the terms of the code, they would be facing life bans from cricket.
None of the three are expected to be arrested, but have agreed to assist police with their lines of inquiry into the alleged misdeeds that were uncovered by the News of the World newspaper.
The bans follow newspaper allegations that a middleman accepted 150,000 ($A250,000) to arrange for Pakistan players to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: ''We will not tolerate corruption in cricket simple as that.
''We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban.''
The charges mean the sportsmen were ''immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded''.
Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain has claimed the men were ''set up''.
Wajid Hasan, the Pakistani High Commissioner in London, said he believed the trio played no part in an alleged plot to bowl no-balls to order during Pakistan's defeat at Lord's.
He went on to cast doubt on video evidence about the allegations released by the News of the World.
''We are not seeing on the video what the date or what the time is. Do you have answers to these questions?'' he told the BBC.
''The video wasn't timed or dated. It could have been dated before the match or after the match, or at a different time.''
Asked if he thought the three players had been ''set up'', Mr Hasan said: ''Yes, I would say that.''
The News of the World dismissed the High Commissioner's claims as ''ludicrous'', adding in a statement: ''Watch this space.''
It is understood that the paper is planning to publish further revelations this weekend.
Butt, Asif and Aamer thought to be staying in a central London hotel have a right to contest the provisional suspension and have 14 days from receipt of the charge to indicate whether they want to defend themselves before an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal.
Lorgat and the ICC's anti corruption chairman Sir Ronnie Flanagan were also scheduled to speak at a press conference in London on Friday.
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