Banned Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Asif insisted that he was not protecting Salman Butt and denied that the former captain had pressured him to bowl no-balls or cheat in any other way, heard the Southwark Crown Court during the eighth day of the spot-fixing hearing.
Butt, also banned from all cricketing activity by the International Cricket Council, and Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenage fast-bowler Amir and other unknown people to bowl pre-determined no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.
The jury heard a transcript of an initial police interview with Asif that was conducted in September last year, soon after the publication of an undercover investigation into alleged corruption by the Pakistan cricketers and agent Majeed, released in the now defunct tabloid News of the World.
The transcript was read out in the courtroom in role play format between at-the-time policeman Detective Constable John Massey and Sarah Whitehouse for the prosecution.
However, when the transcript of Asif’s conversation was read out, the banned fast-bowler was not present since he arrived two hours late for the hearing.
On being questioned on whether he was protecting Butt, Asif was heard as saying, “No... I’m going to protect myself. How can I protect Salman Butt? Even in the game and in my life I am going to protect myself.”
On police’s further questioning if he was under any sort of pressure by Butt not to tell the truth, Asif was firm in his reponse. “No pressure, how can he put pressure on me? How can he pressurise me? Nobody can pressurise me as I have played in the [Pakistan] team for a long time.”
It was also heard yesterday during the hearing, which had been revealed earlier, that while there was no marked News of the World money found in Asif’s room, it was found in the hotel rooms of Butt and Mohammad Amir at the time of police searches.
Asif was also heard to have revealed that his initial agent was Mazhar’s older brother Azhar before he switched ‘seven or eight months ago’. However, he added that despite conversations of potential income, he had not received any money from either of the two Majeed brothers.
Kaneria dismisses Butt’s claims
Meanwhile, Butt said that he contacted agent Majeed after being recommended by senior players including Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, the court heard while transcript of an initial police interview with the former captain was read out.
However, Kaneria denied Butt’s claims and threatened legal action against the banned cricketer after consulting his lawyer. “I don’t even know the guy [Majeed],” said Kaneria. “I’ve never met him and Butt’s claims are ridiculous. I will consult my lawyer and take appropriate action in response to these baseless claims.”
Butt also said that he knew Majeed for five years, the court heard during the hearing.
The case continues.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2011.
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