Embattled trio reply to suspension

PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi confirmed that the players sent their replies asking for a hearing into their case.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s tainted trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir has finally responded to their provisional suspension imposed following spot-fixing allegations.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi confirmed that the players had sent their replies, asking for a hearing into their case. “The players have asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to allow them to give their version against the allegations,” Rizvi told The Express Tribune.

He said that the players had taken the decision following a meeting with PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore who had given his consent to the move. “The chairman has assured the players of support from the board unless found guilty,” he said.

Rizvi said that the players had sent replies through British lawyer Elizabeth Robertson. “Since the PCB cannot interfere in the case due to ICC rules, Robertson will handle it and appear in the hearings to defend the players,” he said, but added that the PCB’s counsel will be able to examine proceedings to be held in London.

The hearing, he said, is scheduled to take place within 40 days as per ICC rules and the council will have to appoint a tribunal which to hear the case. The ICC has temporarily suspended the three cricketers from all forms of the game under the council’s Anti-Corruption Code after British tabloid News of the World revealed that the three were involved in spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test last month.

They were named in a sting operation in which alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed was seen receiving money on behalf of Pakistani players to bowl no-balls as per his predictions. The players were given a period of two weeks to challenge their suspension.

ICC to appoint independent tribunal

The ICC has confirmed that they have received the replies and that it will name an independent tribunal to hear the case of the three suspended players.

“We have received the replies and the hearing would begin in a few days.

The ICC will shortly name an independent tribunal to look into the case,” ICC’s spokesperson told The Express Tribune from Dubai.

Although the ICC has not announced the exact schedule of the hearing so far, a PCB official has said that the hearing would begin in the last week of September. “We have been conveyed that the hearing is highly likely to be held in the last week of this month because the ICC wants to clear the matter soon,” said the official.

‘Scotland yard report the key’

The Scotland Yard report into the spot-fixing scandal is expected to play a pivotal role in the players’ provisional ban. The players are waiting for the police’s report, which is investigating the case and has questioned the accused trio a couple of times.

“The report by Scotland Yard will play an important part in ICC’s hearings because if the police clear the players, the ICC will have no reason to punish the players,” another legal adviser for PCB Talib Rizvi said.

So far, the Scotland Yard has not charged any player and has permitted them to return home.

Earlier, wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who was also named in the report on spot-fixing, was cleared after initial investigation while left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz was questioned by Scotland Yard on Tuesday in London.

“Although the investigation is still not finished, things are moving in the players’ favour because nothing has been found against them so far,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2010.