| Islamabad, Jun 1(ANI): London-based cricket agent Mazhar Majeed, and former Essex fast bowler Mervyn Westfield would have to serve their allotted time in jail after their appeals against their convictions were rejected. Both of them were jailed for being involved in separate cases of corruption in cricket. The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Igor Judge, sitting with two other judges at the Court of Appeal in London, rejected the appeals. Majeed was sentenced in November last year for two years and eight months in jail after pleading guilty for conspiring to cheat and make corrupt payments. Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt, and fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were also jailed for their roles in spot fixing scandal of the August 2010 Test match against England at Lord's. Westfield, who is the first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot fixing, was given punishment of four months in prison in February, and has since been released. He had admitted a charge of accepting or obtaining a crooked payment to bowl in a way that would allow the scoring of runs, relating to a match between Durham and Essex in September 2009. Lord Judge said both Majeed and Westfield had pleaded guilty on the basis of rulings by their trial judges on legal issues relating to the range of the alleged offences. "The appellants contend that these rulings were wrong. If they were wrong, the appeals against conviction must be allowed and a retrial would be ordered," The Daily Times quoted Lord Judge, as saying. "The rulings... were right and these appeals against convictions are dismissed," he concluded in the judgment," he added. (ANI) |