Salman pins hope on sole lawyer

Former captain’s legal team reduced to his Yasin Patel.

KARACHI: Salman Butt’s legal counsel now only consists of Britain-based Indian lawyer Yasin Patel after former president of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan and his associate Shahid Saeed parted ways with the former captain.

Former Pakistan law minister Khalid Ranjha and Aftab Gul, who formed Salman’s legal team earlier, have already distanced themselves from the case.

Ahsan and Saeed were hired only to file a final reply to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Salman sent his final reply to the ICC through Saeed who is an associate of Ahsan,” an official close to the case told The Express Tribune.

“Both of them conveyed to Salman that they would not be representing him anymore. The lawyers are not happy at the way Salman is handling the case.

“They were miffed with his decisions to consult more and more lawyers.”

The official added that the former captain, suspended over spot-fixing charges, is not serious with the case and that prompted the lawyers to part ways.

The hearing of the suspended trio that also includes Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir is set to take place from January 6 to 11 in Doha.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2010.