Here are profiles of the pair, who were convicted by a jury in London of conspiracy to cheat at gambling, with Butt also found guilty of conspiring to accept corrupt payments.
Salman Butt (Left-handed opening batsman)
Age: 27
Tests: 33; Runs: 1,889; Highest score: 122; Average: 30.46; 100s: 3; 50s: 10
ODIs: 78; Runs: 2,725; Highest score: 136; Average: 36.82; 100s: 8; 50s: 14
T20s: 24; Runs: 595; Highest score: 74; Average: 28.33; 50s: 3
Butt was handed the Test captaincy after Shahid Afridi quit following a one-sided defeat against Australia at Lord's in July last year.
Pakistan defeated Australia in the next match by three wickets at Leeds, their first win over the Aussies for 15 years, and hopes of a new era were high.
Emerging from the streets of Lahore, Butt represented Pakistan at all levels, leading Pakistan to the Asian Under-15 title in 1999 and then impressing in the Junior World Cup in 2002.
His brilliant, match-winning 108 not out in a one-day match against India at Kolkata in November 2004 set his career on the right track and although he flitted in and out of the squad, his talent was never in doubt.
Under former coach Bob Woolmer, Butt's career flourished with hundreds at Sydney in January 2005 and against Ashes-winning England at Multan in November 2005.
His third and last Test ton came at Hobart in January 2010.
Mohammad Asif (Right arm fast-medium bowler)
Age: 28
Tests: 23; Balls: 5,171; Runs: 2,583; Wickets: 106; Best bowling: 6/41; Average: 24.36; 5wkt inns: 7; 10wkt matches: 1
ODIs: 38; Balls: 1,941; Runs 1,524; Wickets: 46; Best bowling: 3/28; Average 33.13
T20s: 11; Balls: 257; Runs: 343; Wickets: 13; Best bowling: 4/18; Average: 26.38
It was under Pakistan's English coach Bob Woolmer that Asif blossomed as a swing bowler.
Woolmer picked him for Pakistan's tour to Australia and although Asif went wicketless on his debut Test in Sydney in 2005, he never lost faith in the lithe and determined fast bowler.
Asif claimed 10 wickets in a Pakistan A against an England XI later that year and was brought back into the national side for Pakistan's final Test against India at home in 2006.
He took seven wickets in the win over India, including the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar, at Karachi, helping Pakistan clinch the series.
He followed it with 11 victims in Pakistan's Test win at Kandy, taking 17 wickets in the two Tests against Sri Lanka. His 'five-for' also helped Pakistan beat South Africa in the Port Elizabeth Test in 2007.
Following a series of disciplinary problems, an elbow injury forced him out of the 2007 World Cup.
In England last year, he took 23 wickets in six Tests, two against Australia and four against the hosts.
COMMENTS (8)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
PCB is clearly guilty of bailing out Asif a number of times which encouraged others to indulge in this murky business.
its shame that these players had a trial and declared guilty by justice department of some other country but not ours. it's slap on PCB's n our justice department's face .. before any one else there should have been an inquiry by PCB. But Neither PCB nor our respected chief justice took notice of this crime which drastically effect our country's repute. And no action taken by PCB or our Justice department in the shape of trial or something against these players made it worse. It made us look like we were giving a silent support to these players.
Great.....so bowling no-balls which accounts to no physical danger to anyone ....lands you to 7 years jail term... Now the other case...just last week an Indian hockey player assaulted Pakistani team player and broke four of his teeth.....the indian assaliant got away with just five match ban and nothing else....aaaah.....what cruel comedy of justice (oops) and remember amir asif butt did not commit the crime in real world....it was a sting operation...in which everything related to crime was made to look easy so that they could be trapped ....by the same newspaper which is now defunct , closed due to its illegal activities.....aaah...what justice....that an illegal practicing newspaper entices through entrapment and gets the crime done...ha ha....no need to study criminal psychology...wherein it is known that crime if made easy by circcumstances.....results in being committed by even those who might have never gone that far in real world....but shame on lawyers , shame on PCB and all the related people , not to have taken the case seriously.... ok they are criminals to an extent that they were part of it...but they were trapped into it....it might have been wiser to put severe financial fines and ask them that they are under suspended ban order..i.e. they are going to be banned for life if they do it again....finally what about Hershel Gibbs, Azharuddin, Cronje, Raina ,Mar Waugh, Warne, Lillee, Marsh Jadeja..were any of them jailed ever...even though they committed far serious crime...i.e. match fixing....???
INSHALLAH this will teach the rest of them a lesson and we will come out as a better team. INSHALLAH
They were my heroes.. but now I hate them.. •sobs•
Let their souls rest in prison