ICC rejects Butt, Aamer appeals against suspension

DUBAI - Pakistan’s cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer suffered a major setback in their attempt to return to international cricket when their appeal against an International Cricket Council suspension was rejected following a two-day hearing here Sunday.

“I have decided to dismiss the application… all three players accordingly are still for the timebeing unable to participate in cricketing activities,” Michael Beloff, the head of the ICC’s code of conduct commission, told reporters.

Later, ICC said in a statement that after considering all the evidence Beloff has rejected both challenges.

“As such, the players remain provisionally suspended from all cricket, pending the outcome of the independent anti-corruption tribunal which will hear their disciplinary cases in due course,” the ICC said in a statement.

“As he chose not to challenge his provisional suspension, a third player - Mohammad Asif - also remains provisionally suspended. The ICC will make no further comment on this matter at this time,” it added.

Butt and Aamer had appealed against a suspension slapped on them by the ICC in September following allegations of corruption against them.

Apart from them, Pakistan fast bowler Asif was also accused of accepting bribes from match-fixers during Pakistan’s fourth Test against England at Lord’s last August.

The three players, prior to the suspensions, were charged with various offences under article 2 of the ICC’s anti-corruption code.

The suspensions came after British tabloid News of the World in a sting operation exposed Aamer and Asif accepting money for deliberately bowling no-balls during the Lord’s Test on the insistence of captain Butt.