PCB condemns jailed players

Islamabad - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) says there is "little sympathy" in the country for the three players sentenced to jail in Britain on Thursday for their part in a spot-fixing plot.

Former captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were convicted in London of conspiring with agent Mazhar Majeed to bowl no-balls at pre-determined times in a betting scam during a Test match against England last year.

PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwa says it is "a sad day for Pakistan cricket" and there is "little sympathy in Pakistan for the sorry pass they have come to."

Former Pakistan great Imran Khan says he is "hurt and dejected."

Amir's mother wept after hearing the sentences at the family's home in a village near Islamabad. She maintains that her 19-year-old son is innocent and was forced to deliver a no-ball.