The sister newspaper of the tabloid which made the betting scam allegations engulfing cricket called Tuesday for Pakistan to be sent home from England. The Sun, the daily stablemate of the weekly News of the World, also slammed the cricket authorities for doing "nothing" with the evidence presented by the Sunday tabloid.
Britain's biggest-selling paper claimed it had paid middleman Mazhar Majeed 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) for advance details of three deliberate no-balls in the fourth and final Test match between Pakistan and England, staged at Lord's in London, which England won Sunday.
The Pakistan team have shifted camp from London to Taunton in south-west England for a tour match Thursday against county side Somerset. "Cricket's men in suits mumble and mutter. And do nothing," The Sun, Britain's best-selling daily, said in its editorial.
"From Lord's to Lahore, the sport's ruling bodies vow dire consequences against Pakistan's cheating Test players 'if they are found guilty'. "The deafening silence from the Pakistani camp is more damning than a thousand denials. "The Pakistani squad were able to swan off to Somerset as if nothing had happened.
"Why should the four players most implicated in the betting allegations be allowed to play on? "It is impossible to escape the impression that cricket's bosses hope the fuss will die down.
"If not, why have they failed to act with the firmness and resolve called for? Meanwhile The Daily Telegraph newspaper said it understood that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had asked the Pakistan Cricket Board for the four players cited in the allegations to be dropped from the squad for the forthcoming limit overs matches against England. The Guardian, citing an ICC source, also said the players named in the scandal had been under investigation for months by their anti-corruption unit.