“I don’t see suspensions against Salman, Aamer being removed at this hearing”: Tauqir

KARACHI - Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia believes the International Cricket Council (ICC) is in no mood to lift the provisional suspensions imposed on tainted players- Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer- at the ongoing hearing in Dubai.

“I don’t think the suspensions would be removed because it will than weaken the entire allegations of spot fixing against our players who can then also file claims for damages from the ICC for the money they have lost during the time they have remained suspended,” the Daily Times quoted Zia, as saying.

Zia, who was the PCB chairman from 1999 to 2003, pointed out that the ICC legal team must have prepared a list of allegations and charges against Salman and Aamer for the hearing. “Frankly speaking I don’t see these suspensions being removed at this hearing,” he added.

It is noteworthy that the PCB has not supported the suspended players in any way, and they are covering expenses of the appeals cases themselves. “In this instance we are neither supporting them financially, legally or morally, they are fighting the case themselves,” a legal advisor of the board said.

Butt and Aamer are presently in Dubai, where the ICC’s code of conduct commission is hearing their appeals against their provisional suspensions. The third tainted player- Mohammad Asif- has already withdrawn his appeal, saying that he needed more time for his lawyers to prepare for the case. (ANI)