ICC interrogates Waqar, Afridi as part of evidence building process in spot-fixing case

LAHORE - The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption and Security Unit has recorded the statements of Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, One-day International captain Shahid Afridi and team security manager Colonel Khawaja Najam as part of its evidence building process in the spot-fixing case.

“The statements of these three Pakistan team members are part of the evidence documents and file prepared by the ICC against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir,” The Nation quoted sources, as saying.

“The statements of the three players were recorded especially while the ICC ACU was preparing its file of evidence against the trio,” said a source.

The lawyers for the tainted trio were finding themselves short of time to prepare for the case, as the ICC ACU had sent them a long list of documentary evidence against the three players, the source added.

“The lawyers for the players are going through all the evidence sent to them by the ICC specially Aitzaz Ahsan who recently agreed to represent Salman Butt at the hearing,” reports said.

The Pakistani trio will attend a hearing of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission Tribunal in Doha from January 6 to 11, in which the three-member tribunal will decide whether the ICC ACU has enough evidence to prove the spot-fixing charges against the accused.

Meanwhile, Pakistani newspaper “Jang” has reported that the string of evidence collected against the three players are so strong that Butt and Asif may face life bans, while Aamir may get some leniency owing to his young age.

“The evidence collected by the ICC is very strong, and Butt and Asif in all likelihood will get life bans or long term bans,” the newspaper quoted sources, as saying. (ANI)