Banned fast-bowler Mohammad Asif testified for the first time in the ongoing spot-fixing hearing in London, attributing his allegedly pre-determined no-ball in last year’s Lord’s Test to the verbal abuse he received before the delivery from then captain Salman Butt, the court heard on the 12th day of proceedings.
Butt and Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments following the Lord’s Test when they allegedly conspired with their agent Mazhar Majeed and fast-bowler Mohammad Amir to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.
Asif’s lawyer Alexander Milne discussed the 10th over at Lord’s in which the fast-bowler’s questionable no-ball was delivered. Milne asked Asif if anything was said to him during the over and the fast-bowler responded by revealing how Butt had verbally abused him.
“He said run faster, and went on to say something like ‘haven’t you slept?’ I think Butt was saying things that made me lose concentration.”
Milne then asked Asif whether Butt’s comment were said in a funny way, pointing out that swear words can sometimes be used in a non-casual, friendly way.
“No, it wasn’t friendly,” replied Asif. “It was unfriendly for a captain to speak like that to me, especially with my position in the rankings.”
Milne also established through the answers that he obtained from Asif that he had minimal contact with Mazhar. Although his older brother Azhar Majeed acted as his unsigned agent from 2006, he did not meet Mazhar until May last year.
The fast-bowler also claimed that News of the World journalist Mazhar Mahmood met him on two occasions after the scandal broke, even though Mahmood had denied any such meeting. Asif claimed that Mahmood introduced himself as solicitor Imran Sheikh, offering to help him and asked him questions about the scandal. The fast-bowler claimed that Sheikh later met him in Lahore as well.
Qadir describes Butt as ‘honest’
Earlier, former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir described Butt as an ‘honest’ and ‘hard-working’ person ‘with high morals’. The comments came as Butt’s defence closed by reading to the court a series of character witness accounts.
“The Salman Butt that I know is honest, hardworking, truthful, fair, modest, loving, highly-respected, and with a firm commitment to the success of his team and his country,” said Qadir. “I was shocked about the allegations that were made against him. I don’t believe he’s capable of the acts with which he is charged.”
The case continues.
Imran confirms conversation with Butt
Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Imran Khan confirmed that Butt spoke to him over the phone a couple of times while he was captain on the tour of England. Butt replaced Shahid Afridi as the Test captain after the defeat at Lord’s against Australia and led Pakistan to a three-wicket win over the top-ranked Test team at Headingly.
“He called me up twice after he was made the captain but that was only about on-field decisions and selecting the playing-eleven,” Khan told The Express Tribune. “I told him to get Younus Khan in the side. We spoke only about the squad and his calls had no link to the
allegations.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 21st, 2011.
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