ICC suspends Butt, Asif and Aamer

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has provisionally suspended the three Pakistan players accused of involvement in a betting scam.

In a statement on its website, the ICC said it had charged Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif with various offences under its anti-corruption code. The players “have been officially notified of the offences they are alleged to have committed and have been provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges,” the statement said.

“In accordance with the provisions of the code, this means they are immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded.”

The players can contest the provisional suspension within 14 days of their receipt of the charge sheet to indicate their desire for a hearing. They will also be able to defend these charges at a hearing before an Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

Cricinfo reported that,  “officials from the ACSU met officials from Scotland Yard in relation to the ongoing investigation. The three players will be questioned by Scotland Yard early Friday morning. A local legal firm has been appointed to defend the players, with the PCB’s legal advisor, Taffazul Rizvi, also in London assisting the case.”

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan officials defended the players, with the High Commissioner to the UK, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, suggesting in an interview with the BBC that the three men had been the victims of a “set-up”. agencies

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2010.