Salman Butt opts not to appear in court for bribery hearing

Butt was charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and with conspiracy to cheat.

KARACHI: Pakistan's banned captain Salman Butt will not appear at Southwark Crown Court on Friday to face charges of taking bribes brought against him by Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), a source close to the batsman said.

Butt, along with pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and sports agent Mazhar Majeed from Croydon, England, were charged in February with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and with conspiracy to cheat.

Sources close to Butt said his lawyer, Yasin Patel, will represent him at the hearing. Butt can choose not to attend Friday's hearing as it is only a case management hearing, where the accused's attendance is not compulsory.

Asif told reporters before leaving for London on Tuesday: "I am going to London with a clear mind and that is to keep on fighting this case till my innocence is proven.

Amir said he was still awaiting his visa to travel to London. "I have still not got my visa the moment I get it I will try to make it in person for the hearing," he said.

Butt, Asif and Amir were banned for a minimum of five years from the sport after being found guilty of bowling pre-arranged no balls during a test against England last year. They are appealing their bans with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The trio appeared before a magistrates court in Westminster in March and were given bail but now face the full hearing.

The CPS has said it was satisfied it has sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute.