LONDON, England (AP) — The head of the International Cricket Council has called the fixing allegations against three suspended Pakistan players the most serious case of corruption to hit the sport since South Africa captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life 10 years ago.

Speaking yesterday, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said allegations that Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Salman Butt conspired with bookmakers to deliver deliberate no-balls in last week’s fourth Test against England were hugely detrimental to the image of cricket.

“In terms of corruption in the sport, this must rank as the next worst after the Hansie Cronje case,” Lorgat said.

Cronje admitted to forecasting results in exchange for money from a London bookmaker, prompting the ICC to create its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

There is no suggestion that the Pakistan players conspired to affect the result of the match at Lord’s — which Pakistan lost by an innings and 225 runs for their worst ever Test defeat — but the trio could still be banned for life if found guilty.

The ICC could widen the investigation into the allegations against Asif, Amir and Butt — whom it suspended late Thursday — to cover January’s contentious Test match against Australia in Sydney.

ACSU chairman Ronnie Flanagan said the current charges pertain only to last week’s fourth test against England but that the ICC could still look into what he called a “dysfunctional” tour of Australia by Pakistan.

“We will go where the evidential trail takes us,” Flanagan said. “At this stage, we do not have such evidence to hand for that tour or that match.”

Flanagan added that there were separate ongoing investigations into other international sides but that he did not think that the current case was “the tip of an iceberg”.

However, Flanagan did acknowledge that cricket was especially suited to spot betting — when gamblers wager on individual events within a match rather than the result — and said that it may be time for a single body to regulate betting across all sports.

The body could monitor betting in the way WADA looks at doping.

In the meantime, Flanagan said the ICC will examine its own code and strengthen it if necessary.

He said he would congratulate the News of the World if the allegations stemming from its sting operation, in which an undercover reporter met with an associate of the players, resulted in convictions.

Flanagan and Lorgat would not comment on reports in yesterday’s edition of Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper that marked notes used in the sting operation that led to the allegations had been found in Butt’s locker.