PCB shuns Salman Butt’s plea to be given same treatment as Mohammad Amir

Board advised to favour Amir only, says Sethi.


Fawad Hussain April 13, 2014
Salman Butt hopes PCB chairperson Najam Sethi will "do for other players" what he is doing for Mohammad Amir. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has turned down Salman Butt’s request that they push for a reduction of his and Mohammad Asif's ban periods in the same way they are seeking to shorten Mohammad Amir's ban from cricket. 

The PCB is currently pushing the International Cricket Council (ICC) to get Amir’s five-year ban reduced and, as per ICC rules, he is already serving the minimum duration for a ban.

Former captain Butt, who is serving a 10-year ban after being found guilty of spot-fixing, hoped PCB chairperson Najam Sethi will "do for other players" what he is doing for Mohammad Amir.

Sethi said the PCB was supporting the young fast bowler after consulting with top lawyers in the UK.

“The PCB took the British QC [Queen’s Counsel] opinion, which advised only in favour of Amir for various reasons. So I am pursing his case,” he told The Express Tribune.

Amir, who was just 18 when he received the ban, received sympathy from various quarters and was the first of the three to plead guilty. He was also noted for his cooperation with the ICC.

Background

On February 5, 2011 an ICC anti-corruption tribunal banned the three players for a minimum of five years for arranging no-balls to order during the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010.

Butt eventually admitted his guilt in June, 2013 and said he wanted to move on from the disgrace.

Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended, Asif for seven with two suspended and Amir for five years. All of them could return to the game in August 2015.

COMMENTS (8)

Saba Sheikh | 10 years ago | Reply Amir does not deserve to return to international cricket. A 10 year old knows the difference between right and wrong, and our country had seen match-fixing scandals in the past. I'm sure Amir must have been aware of them and the consequences those players had to face. Plus, he did receive the mandatory guidelines as per the ICC anti-corruption policy. The prosecution had been 100% right about Salman Butt. They had been put off by his arrogance and had made a remark about it too. There is no remorse being shown by him even now. None of the trio deserve to represent Pakistan again.
ali | 10 years ago | Reply

salman and asif should be banned in cricket for whole life.

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