Alleged fixer's brother in Pakistan hotel on eve of Lord's Test match

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Alleged match-fixer Mazhar Majeed and his brother Azhar are recognised figures on the international and domestic cricket circuit, with extensive links in the Pakistani dressing room that is now accused of corruption. Alleged match-fixer Mazhar Majeed and his brother Azhar are recognised figures on the international and domestic cricket circuit, with extensive links in the Pakistani dressing room that is now accused of corruption.

The pair claim to act as agents for seven of the current Pakistan side, including captain Salman Butt and the bowlers accused of deliberately bowling no-balls, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. The Daily Telegraph can disclose that Azhar Majeed was in the Pakistan team hotel, the Marriott at Swiss Cottage, on Wednesday night. Sources with knowledge of the pair's business dealings have confirmed that Azhar mingled with players including Mohammad Yousuf on the night before the fourth Test against England at Lord's. There is no suggestion that Yousuf has any involvement in the match-fixing allegations.

Azhar Majeed's meetings at the Marriott came as his brother was in negotiations with undercover reporters from the News of the World posing as businessmen interested in executing a betting sting.

Azhar Majeed is recognised as a legitimate agent by the Professional Cricketers' Association, which is understood not to have had any concerns about his conduct in county cricket on behalf of clients including Yousuf, Younis Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal.

Yesterday, however, Azhar Majeed said that he had been thrown out of the Pakistan team hotel prior to the Oval Test last week because he was "top of the list" of individuals banned from entering players' rooms. "Security kept on hassling me, and I couldn't understand what it was for, the reason I was top of the list. I couldn't understand why," he said. "I found it a bit ludicrous for him to be chucking me out of hotel. Politely I went, but I have absolutely nothing to hide."

Of the allegations against his brother he said: "I thought it was just rubbish."

The Majeed brothers appear to have been close to the Pakistan team for several years, offering personal sponsorship to Butt as well as arranging county contracts and commercial deals on other players' behalf. Mazhar is also understood to have been around the squad during the controversial tour of Australia, when Pakistan lost every match.

Their presence has been a cause of concern to the Pakistan management however. Yesterday team manager Yawar Saeed said: "When we started this tour, I told the players they should not be entertaining these two in their hotel rooms. These boys are their agents and, anywhere we tour in the world, we tell our players that they are not allowed to have agents in their hotel rooms. It is the policy on the tour."

Butt was sponsored by Mazhar Majeed's property company, BlueSky Developments, based in Croydon, and has also visited Ryman League club Croydon Athletic, which Majeed owns.

Majeed bought the club in 2008 from Dean Fisher, who has subsequently been convicted of fraud. The Football Association is understood to have been monitoring Majeed's involvement in the club for some time, and his claim to undercover reporters that he used the club to launder money is likely to be investigated by the FA. Last night the FA said it would not comment while the police are investigating.

BlueSky has also staged charity events with the Pakistan squad. In 2007, according to the company website, it arranged a dinner attended by former Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq and former England batsman Mark Ramprakash. According to the company website, the event was to raise money for a children's charity.

According to company records Mazhar Majeed has been a director of 23 companies, 18 of which have been dissolved. One of the firms registered at BlueSky House in Croydon, Valeco Limited, is in receivership, and another, Able Trading Ltd, is late filing its accounts for the last two years.

Court records also reveal four County Court Judgments against BlueSky Developments, totalling more than £15,000. Calls to the company's switchboard yesterday were not returned.

Last night Croydon Athletic, who are due to play Carshalton today, said they were "devastated and appalled to hear of the alleged match fixing of international cricket matches" by their owner.