Match Fixing Scandal: Tainted Pak Trio Will Meet Scotland Yard Today: Pakistan's tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir will on Wednesday face another round of questioning from the Scotland Yard for their alleged involvement in the 'spot-fixing' scandal that has rocked international cricket even as England's Players' body demanded their ouster from the Twenty20 and ODI series here.

The trio, which has been implicated in the scandal after a sting operation by a British tabloid, is set to be quizzed by the Scotland Yard for the second time but they are not in danger of being arrested, a Pakistan Cricket Board official said.

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Debutant Zulqarnain Haider kept England at bay with a superb 88 as Pakistan at last restored some pride in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday. Pakistan at the close of the third day, were 9-291 a lead of 112 and with an outside chance of pulling off what would be an astounding victory.

They would have been in an even better position, but England off-spinner Graeme Swann removed Zulqarnain shortly before stumps on his way to a Test-best haul of 6-60 runs in 36 overs - 20 of them maidens.Pakistan had been dismissed for just 72 -- their lowest total against England - in the first innings, a woeful performance which made Sunday's fightback even more astonishing.

Zulqarnain and Saeed Ajmal put on 115 for the eighth wicket, with the recalled off-spinner making exactly 50 to give him Test-bests with both bat and ball this match after he took 5-82 in England's first innings 251. Ajmal fell shortly before the close caught at slip by Paul Collingwood to end a gutsy 79-ball innings featuring seven fours.

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Andrew Strauss Failed with the bat but that is the peril of facing new ball against such good bowlers. Iffy shot in first innings but got an unplayable delivery in the second. 6/10 Alastair Cook Struggling with technical issues against swinging ball. Tall men tend to struggle with balance and his footwork is a bit out of kilter 5.

Jonathan Trott Undone by a stinker that kept low and bowled him in the second innings but did show the application you need in Test cricket in both knocks. 5 Kevin Pietersen Lack of cricket obvious from the impatient way he approached both innings attempting to dominate without putting in the hard work first. 5

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The Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Aamer was warned about his conduct after clashing with the Australia captain Ricky Ponting on the first day of the Lord's Test yesterday. Aamer was spoken to by the match referee Chris Broad at the close of play after he had collided with Ponting as he celebrated dismissing the Tasmanian for 26.

"Aamer is a young, exciting, talented player full of enthusiasm for this great sport and that is to be celebrated and nurtured," said Broad. "But there are a few things he still has to learn in relation to how to conduct himself on the field of play.

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The 26-year-old has been included in a 16-man squad for the three-Test series which starts in Galle on July 18. Malinga, who last played in a Test in November 2007, has been limited to one-day competition over the last two years due to struggles with injury.

Fellow pace bowler Dilhara Fernando also earns a recall into the Test squad but spinner Ajantha Mendis has been left out by the selectors.Instead, 32-year-old slow left-arm orthodox Rangana Herath has been included to compliment the retiring Muttiah Muralitharan and off-spinner Suraj Randiv.

Muralitharan will bring the curtain down on his career in the longest form of the game after the contest in Galle and although Mendis has been labelled as his heir apparent, there is no place in the squad for the 25-year-old.

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Pakistan have solved their disciplinary problems and head into tomorrow's first Test against Australia as a united force confident of victory, said the new Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi. The 30-year-old Afridi came out of a four-year Test retirement to pick up the pieces after Pakistan's dismal tour of Australia this year ended in bitter recriminations.

The two previous captains, Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, were both banned indefinitely for alleged infighting as part of widespread punishments dished out by the Pakistan Cricket Board following the 3-0 Test series whitewash, plus defeats in all six limited-overs internationals.

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The Indian cricket captain was acclaimed throughout the country for winning the first ICC Twenty20 World Cup trophy in 2007. News of his marriage generated headlines at the weekend.

The media on Wednesday was full of speculation as to where his reception would be and who would be invited. In the event Dhoni and his bride cropped up in Ranchi, in the state of Jharkhand, where he lives.

Dhoni married Sakshi, a 21-year-old management student, on Sunday night in a private ceremony attended by only about 50 people in the city of Dehradun.

His close friends and fellow cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma all attended amid heavy security.

"Dhoni was really relaxed and having a good time. The couple look very good together and we heard murmurs from girls present at the event that their hearts are broken.

Pakistan were a team at each other’s throats until recently making the MCC’s decision to sponsor their series against Australia under the Spirit of Cricket banner almost the ultimate cricketing definition of irony. But after two successive one-sided Twenty20 wins over Australia it is smiles all round for this eclectic bunch of cricketers who appear unified under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi. Afridi is a hyperactive bundle of energy and perhaps it maybe it takes a maverick to lead a team capable of implosion at any moment.

Winning helps to lift the mood and these two performances at Edgbaston have given impetus for a long tour of England. It has also allowed England a glimpse of what they are about to experience and they will be wary - Mohammad Aamer, a 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler in the mould of Wasim Akram, and Umar Gul are two special talents.

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Pakistan's band of travelling showmen made Edgbaston their home stage with a thrilling performance of fast bowling and big hitting that had a noisy crowd recreating the atmosphere of Lahore or Karachi. At times it felt as if the only members of the 13,000 crowd cheering Australia at this Twenty20 international were the 11 in yellow. Australians are used to getting the bird over here from English fans but last night it was.

Pakistanis revelling in their discomfort. You cannot blame them for enjoying the moment. This was the first time Pakistan had beaten Australia in 13 matches. With half of Edgbaston a building site – the Pavilion End has been levelled for a new development – the crowd did their best to bring down the rest with some ground-shaking noise.

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The wedding, at Vishranti Resorts at Bidhauli, was a private affair attended by only close family and friends, the daily newspaper said. The Times said teammates Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra were in attendance, as well as Indian cricket chief Shashank Manohar and Bollywood actor John Abraham.

Dhoni, 28, got engaged to Sakshi, 23, at a  private ceremony on Saturday night, the newspaper said. The 28-year old wicket-keeper batsman has played 43 Tests, 166 ODIs and 25 T20s for India. Under his captaincy India became the number one Test side in the world and the number two ODI side.