LONDON: England and Pakistan are set to play their first Test on English soil since the 2010 spot-fixing scandal when they meet at Lord´s on Thursday.
Below we look back at the scandal that shook cricket and the subsequent fall-out:
2010
Aug 28: Britain´s now defunct News of the World tabloid alleges that teenage sensation Mohammad Amir, Pakistan new-ball partner Mohammad Asif and captain Salman Butt agreed to bowl no-balls in return for payment as part of a betting scam in the Lord´s Test against England.
Sep 02: The three Pakistan players are provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council.
Sep 19: A bitter One-day International series becomes even more acrimonious when Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt accuses England of deliberately losing the third match at The Oval.
Sep 20: England batsman Jonathan Trott and Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz have any angry exchange in the Lord´s nets before the start of the fourth ODI. Trott later apologise to the Pakistanis. England go on to win the series 3-2.
2011
Feb 02: Ijaz Butt retracts his remarks about England´s defeat at The Oval
Feb 05 The ICC ban Salman Butt for 10 years (five suspended), Asif for seven years (two suspended) and Amir for five years.
Sep 16: Amir pleads guilty to accepting corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat.
Nov 01: Salman Butt and Asif are found guilty at London´s Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.
Nov 03: Salman Butt is sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, Asif to 12 months and Amir six months. Meanwhile their agent, Mazhar Majeed, is sentenced to two years and eight months.
2015
September 13, 2015 - Amir, Asif and Butt´s bans all officially end, although Amir´s suspension was relaxed in April.
2016
Jan 15: Amir returns to international cricket, in a Twenty20 against New Zealand in Auckland. He takes one for 31 in his four overs and does not bat in a 16-run defeat before representing Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in India in March.
May 02: Amir is selected for the England tour, leaving him on course to make a Test return on July 14 at Lord´s — the scene of his crime nearly six years earlier.
Jul 03-05: Amir plays his first first-class match back in England when he appears in Pakistan´s tour opener against Somerset at Taunton. The left-arm quick bowls impressively in a first-innings return of three for 36. Earlier in the match, he is out for a second-ball duck — the first delivery he faces is, of all things, a no-ball from Josh Davey. The match ends in a draw.
