LONDON — The captain of Pakistan's limited overs teams has apologized to cricket fans for the controversy that erupted after three of his teammates were suspended on suspicion of fixing.
Shahid Afridi said Saturday that the players in the squad for the remaining two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England were upset by the allegations, which the International Cricket Council has called the most serious to hit the sport for a decade.
"On behalf of these boys — I know they're not in this series — I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all cricketing nations," Afridi said.
Cricket's ruling body suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir this week while it investigates them for various offences under the sport's anti-corruption code.
The ICC has not detailed the charges, which followed accusations by a British tabloid that a middleman accepted payment in exchange for deliberate no-balls against England last week.
"It's very bad news," Afridi said ahead of Sunday's first Twenty20 in Cardiff. "It's a big challenge for me as captain but we're all ready. The coach and I are not talking about the issue — we are here to play cricket."
The trio were released without criminal charge after being questioned by London police on Friday but could be banned from cricket for life if found guilty.
The Pakistan Cricket Board's legal adviser said Saturday that Butt, Amir and Asif have denied knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by the middleman, agent Mazhar Majeed.
"The players have informed the police that the man was their agent, but they had no knowledge," about his alleged wrongdoing, Tafazzul Rizvi told private television channels in Pakistan.
British tabloid News of the World has accused Majeed of acting as a middleman, accepting money in exchange for getting Asif and Amir to bowl intentional no-balls.
Players and officials are waiting to see if the News of the World follows its initial report with further allegations when the Sunday paper is distributed late Saturday.
"I've told the boys, 'don't read the newspapers,'" Afridi said.
After winning the four-match Test series 3-1, England are also trying to focus on the matches ahead.
"It's going to be interesting to see what happens tonight," batsman Paul Collingwood said. "That's out of our hands as players. We've just got to mentally prepare ourselves to play tomorrow."
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said Friday the allegations that Asif, Amir and Butt conspired with bookmakers was the most serious case of corruption since South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life 10 years ago.
Cronje admitted to forecasting results in exchange for money from a London bookmaker, prompting the ICC to create its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).
But the fallout from the case is spreading, with Pakistan's top diplomat in Britain accusing the ICC of bias and banning the players only to cover up shortcomings in its own procedures.
Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan criticized the ICC again Friday for taking action before police had completed criminal investigations.
"After the shocking, arbitrary and high-handed suspension of the three Pakistani cricketers through the ICC's uncalled for action, nothing is coming to me as a surprise," Hasan said in a statement. "Rather, my apprehensions that there is a rat in the whole affair are being strengthened.
"It is emerging as a fishy situation where pieces have now started falling in place to convince me that there is more than meet the eyes."
With Pakistan banned from playing home internationals following last year's terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka squad, some Pakistani journalists have suggested there is a conspiracy against their country.
With illegal gambling often occurring in India, some have even suggested involvement by Pakistan's neighbour and territorial rival.
Lorgat denied that the charges were evidence of bias and said the ICC was committed to maintaining the country's status as a full member of the body.
There is no suggestion that the Pakistan players conspired to affect the result of the match at Lord's — which Pakistan lost by an innings and 225 runs for its worst ever test defeat.
The ICC could widen the investigation into the allegations against Asif, Amir and Butt — whom it suspended late Thursday — to cover January's contentious Test match against Australia in Sydney.
"We will go where the evidential trail takes us," ACSU chairman Ronnie Flanagan said.
The relevant article of the ICC's anti-corruption code includes:
— Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any international match or ICC event.
— Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other reward to fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any international match or ICC event.
In fact, Clark is pretty much the sole Libertarian presidential nominee to have consciously presented himself as running from the left. (The only other case that even arguably comes close is Michael Badnarik, the party's standard-bearer in 2004, who played up his antiwar stances and established a 
