Former Pakistan offspinner Raza arrested

Former Pakistan offspinner Akram Raza was arrested on charges of betting on Indian Premier League matches in Lahore on Sunday, reports AFP. The 46-year-old Raza was among was one of seven men arrested from a busy Lahore shopping area when police raided a gang of bookmakers who were taking illegal bets.

"Seven men were arrested after a tip-off that they were taking bets on IPL matches, and one of them has been identified as Raza, a former Pakistan player," a police officer at Gulberg police station told AFP.

Raza, who played nine Tests and 49 ODIs for Pakistan, was one of the six players Pakistan players fined in a match-fixing inquiry conducted by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum in 2000. Raza currently officiates as an umpire in Pakistan's domestic matches.

Police said they recovered telephones, computers, televisions and a large amount of money in the raid, and will charge the arrested men later on Sunday.