PCB keen to ensure disgraced Pak trio ’sustain themselves financially’ during ban period

KARACHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may have refused to back the tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir in their legal fight, but it is keen to ensure that they sustain themselves financially during the banned period.

On February 5, an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) had found the trio guilty of spot-fixing, and imposed a ’sanction of ten years ineligibility’ with a five-year suspension period on Butt, a sanction of seven years ineligibility with two years’ suspension period on Asif and a “sanction of five years of ineligibility” on Amir.

“The feeling is that the banned players must have a way of sustaining themselves financially during their ban as they can’t be expected to survive without working somewhere,” the Daily Times quoted a PCB source, as saying.

Well-placed sources in the PCB said there was a sigh of relief in the board over the fact that former Test captain Salman had been allowed to take up a job as a cricket expert with a private TV channel by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

“Although the ICC had directly handled the issue of Salman working for Channel Five as cricket expert on the World Cup matches and contacted the anti-corruption tribunal for clarification, the PCB is happy to know the tribunal has no objections to him working,” the source added.

The trio, banned from taking part in any cricket match or activity held under the umbrella of the ICC or its affiliated members, can do private jobs, including those related to cricket.

The source also clarified that the PCB had nothing to do with the National Bank of Pakistan’s decision to release the trio from its payroll.

“I think the bank took this decision because it had employed the three to basically play cricket for them in domestic cricket and when they can’t do this during the period of their bans, it was obvious the bank has no use for them. But the PCB had nothing to do with the bank decision,” the source explained.

The source also disclosed that the PCB would decide within a week on releasing outstanding payments to the three players as part of their fees, as the Anti-Corruption Tribunal had not penalised them financially. (ANI)