The judge presiding over the alleged spot-fixing trial at Southwark Crown Court involving Pakistan players Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif has retired the jury to decide upon verdicts.
Justice Cooke completed his summing up at about midday on Thursday, the 17th day in the trial, and offered some guidance to the 12-person jury who will decide the fate of the two players.
"The only satisfactory verdict in a criminal trial is a unanimous verdict," the judge said. "I do not want to hear anything about majority decisions at the moment." The judge may consider a majority verdict, though, should there not be a decision within several days.
He added: "There is no set time for a verdict. You can take as short a time or as long a time as you need within reason. There is no pressure on you. If you do not reach a decision today, I shall send you home and you can come back tomorrow."
Former captain Butt and pace bowler Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed and teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.
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