Tainted Pak trio found guilty, get lengthy bans in spot-fixing case
By ANISunday, February 6, 2011
DOHA - The Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing the spot-fixing case has found the Pakistani trio- Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif- guilty of corruption and imposed a ten-year, a seven-year and a five-year ban on them respectively.
On September 2, 2010, the ICC had charged the trio “in question with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel relating to alleged irregular behaviour during, and in relation to, the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s.”
‘The Tribunal found that the charge under Article 2.1.1 of the Code that Mr Butt agreed to bat out a maiden over in the Oval Test match played between Pakistan and England from 18 to 21 August 2010 was dismissed, whereas the charge under Article 2.4.2 that Mr Butt failed to disclose to the ICC’s ACSU the approach by Mr Majeed that Mr Butt should bat a maiden over in the Oval Test was proved,” said a press release by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
‘The Tribunal found that the charges under Article 2.1.1 of the Code that (respectively) Mr Asif agreed to bowl and did bowl a deliberate no ball in the Lord’s Test match played between Pakistan and England from 26 to 29 August 2010, Mr Amir agreed to bowl and did bowl two deliberate no balls in the same Test, and Mr Butt was party to the bowling of those deliberate no balls, were proved,” it added.
The Tribunal imposed a ’sanction of ten years ineligibility’ on Butt, “five years of which are suspended on condition that he commits no further breach of the code and that he participates under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of Anti-Corruption education.”
On Asif, a sanction of seven years ineligibility has been imposed, two years of which are suspended “on condition that he commits no further breach of the code and that he participates under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of Anti-Corruption education,” whereas the Tribunal has imposed a “sanction of five years of ineligibility” on Amir, the youngest of the three accused.
The statement also said the Tribunal had recommended to the ICC “certain changes to the Code with a view to providing flexibility in relation to minimum sentences in exceptional circumstances.”
The trio have 21 days to appeal against the ICC sanctions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
Butt, Asif and Amir have become the first players to be banned by the ICC for spot-fixing, an innovation in which cricketers deliberately play in a particular pre-decided way at a fixed over or ball during the matches. (ANI)
