New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI): The International cricket Council today asked the Pakistan Cricket Board to drop tainted players like Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif from the team for the ODI and T20 series against England. 

According to sources, the ICC President Sharad Pawar talked to the PCB president Ijaz Butt on the issue and urged him to take strict action against the players to restore the credibility of the series.

It is learnt that senior England players are reluctant to play the ODI and T20 series unless the players who have been named in the spot fixing scandal are dropped. The sources said that ECB officials made their position clear to Pawar who then called up Butt and apprised him of the development.

There was no official confirmation on such a development yet. The ECB wants Asif, Aamir and Salman Butt, the captain of the Test team and who was described as the 'ring leader" in the sting operation by the British tabloid, to be left out of the team.

The furore followed allegations that a bookie, Mazhar Majeed, arrested and later released on bail, bribed Pakistani pacers Asif and  Aamir for 'spot-fixing' to bowl no balls during the Lord's Test against England, which the visitors lost by an innings and 225 runs.