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Banned cricket stars turn to TV for World T20
During Pakistan-India warm-up match, Salman Butt gave comments on ARY news and Mohammad Amir on Express News.
Salman Butt giving opinion on ARY news during the Pakistan-India warm-up match on Monday.
KARACHI: Pakistan cricket stars Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir, both serving long bans for spot-fixing, have turned television pundits for the World Twenty20 tournament which starts Tuesday.
Both have been banned from cricket for at least five years by the sport’s governing body for their role in arranging deliberate no-balls to order during the 2010 Lord’s Test against England.
Butt, captain in the infamous Lord’s Test, appeared on the ARY news channel during Pakistan’s five wicket win over arch-rivals India in a warm-up match in Colombo on Monday, while Amir made an appearance on Express News the same day.
Butt controversially did a stint as pundit for Pakistan’s Channel Five during last year’s 50-over World Cup, but this is the first time 20-year-old Amir has appeared as an expert.
The channels said both players will give expert comments throughout the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, and ARY ran promos with Butt with the tagline: “Stopped from playing, but not from speaking.”
In addition to their bans from the International Cricket Council (ICC) Butt, Amir and Mohammad Asif were jailed by an English court for contriving to bowl no-balls with their agent Mazhar Majeed during the Lord’s Test.
The ICC last year reacted sharply to Butt’s television role.
“The ICC Board, having a zero tolerance attitude towards corruption, expressed disappointment at the decision by a Pakistan television channel, which has no relationship with the ICC, to employ the suspended Salman Butt as a studio pundit during the World Cup,” then-ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat had said.
The ICC have not yet reacted to the new TV roles.
Express News channel said they had received mixed reactions from the fans, with some criticising the banned players’ appearance but some appreciating their new roles.
Read more:
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Reader Comments (24)
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I lodge my protest as I dont wana see them on any channel to be the pundits or guru of the GAME.Recommend
Welcome to Pakistan… Our media wanted to make these corrupt, dishonest people our hero.
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I think they have got their punishment ! so they are clear ! we all Pakistanis are stupid ! we only see the corruption of those who are caught what about politicians and others who are destroying our country and damaging our country more than Aamir and Asif and they are not caught ! our country is defamed by spot fixing but it is more defamed by terrorism and corruptionRecommend
Once again express group taking the lead.
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I think there is no problem. They committed crime or made mistake. They suffered consequences. They have a right to live & breathe and earn their living.
Read about this character:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff
He is now a regular commentator on talk shows in US.
So, move on.
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we dont need these culprits who damaged the pakistan reput.
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I don’t see what the heck is the problem, they paid the price and now making a living, ICC should mind its own bussiness. ICC has zero credibility.
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If only they had some self respect and dignity left in them, they would never come on screen. They have brought shame to the nation. And i cant believe we as well as the media are so insane to make them heroes again and give them so much importance. Unbelievable.Recommend
They are unforgivableRecommend
Does The Media have any decency left in them? They’re criminals and convicted individuals and not stars anymore! STOP Sports Abuse by bringing these players to TV or else people have access to other channels as we protest and frown upon these guys appearances on channels-SHUNT THEM OUT they have disgraced The Country and the Sport!Recommend
nobody has lodge any protest against corrupt politicians who appeared on those channels in different talk shows who humiliate the whole nation on daily basis, players have commit crime and served there punishments now let them live piece fully.
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he should be allowed on tv… this will make them look innocent which they are not… they are convicted and trials criminals…
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I want to register my protest to be name both of them as Pakistan Cricket Star. They are not at all our stars and please do not write them as our stars.
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Why all the fuss? These are still young guys who made a mistake in society steeped in corruption and the only way forward through back channels and illegal activity. These guys devoted their lives to the cricket and like everyone in our society they are males who have many mouths to feed…I can understand they are banned from playing …we wanted them punished…now we don’t want them starved or their families to starve and suffer. They don’t have factories and swiss accounts to fall back on….they have punished more then any other cricketer in any other country. So chill! and let them live and breather. They were not sentenced to die…let us all relax and sun will shine tomorrow.
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What do you expect if Aamir Liaquat can make a return as a super hit during Ramadan!
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We, as a society, have no moral values… Shame on us for shedding croc tears on corruption bt keep encouraging corrupts
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As far as they are not playing they are fine with such jobs. They can’t be banned from every single thing. Tomorrow we will be objecting there entry to some market. There punishment have some limits.
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Well, if people like Aamir Liaquat and Mehr Bukhari can appear on TV, then why not them. Atleast they did not give any hate-speech nor where they responsible for the death people.
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Media houses are doing what they do best. Don’t want to watch these cheats on TV… switch the channel…
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Those who bring the game into disrepute now become its experts. I will see T20 on some Indian channel.
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“Well, if people like Aamir Liaquat and Mehr Bukhari can appear on TV, then why not them.” very true, and I further add that accept they are criminals but nobody can snatch the right of earning he bread and butter from someone and in their case cricket is the sole trade they know. If we accept back murders in the society after their punishments why not these cricketers?
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@hari:
If Zardari can be president of Pakistan, then any crook has the right to do his thing.
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amir and butt lost the credibility to even talk about cricket. A game that gave them money, fame, respect they in turn discredit it and payed the price they deserve. I am sure no loyal cricket fan would want to see them discussing cricket, at least not me, coz I love cricket and hate any corrupt and dishonest person to discuss this great game!
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I am really disappointed by ARY digital. These are the so called channels who were always trying to bring the latest news about these player’s corruption. Now how can they allow these criminals on their channels and promote them? Salman Butt should never be allowed back in the team or promoted on television like this. Our media is all about ratings and making money………
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