The trio must prove strength of character: Haroon Rasheed
The chief selector says the three players have to redeem themselves as honest and decent persons
PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan chief selector Haroon Rasheed has said although the trio have been allowed back in to cricket, they must prove strength of character in order to get back in to the Pakistan team.
The trio enjoyed their first day of freedom from their respective bans with some net cricket in Lahore.
"How they play cricket is important but what is more important is how they convince everyone they have changed and redeemed themselves as honest and decent persons. The truth is it is an uphill road for them and they will have to do a lot to show their character and be redeemed in the eyes of many people," said Haroon, reported Press Trust of India.
Read: The return of Butt and Asif — no easy fix
Haroon, who formerly played Tests for Pakistan, added that the three players were not being considered for the upcoming tour to Zimbabwe and the home series against England.
"Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given them a comprehensive reintegration and rehabilitation plan and it will keep them engaged until January. After that when they have a chance to return to first class cricket we will have to see how things go," said Haroon.
Moreover, the PCB also made it clear that in order to get reintegrated back in to the game, Butt and Asif will have to start from the very bottom by playing grade-2 level cricket, thus ruining the plans of the duo to play for the Lahore team in the on-going national T20 championship in Rawalpinidi.
Read: Adnan Akmal falls victim to rare dismissal
"I always knew it would be difficult coming back but just the feeling of being free to play any cricket and train and go to cricket ground or the board academy is enough for me at the moment," said Asif.
"I am just relieved that the ban is over and I am ready to do anything to convince people and my fellow cricketers to forgive us," said the pacer.
Butt spent the afternoon practicing with his club and mingling with his supporters and well-wishers.
Read: Salman Butt should be banned for life: Former PCB chairman
"It is a big relief the ban period is over but our trial is not over and I know a lot of hard work has to be done to get back into mainstream cricket," he said.
Meanwhile leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who is serving a life-ban for promoting spot-fixing while playing County cricket, has drawn attention to the fact that while Butt, Asif and Amir have been allowed another chance, he remains in exile.
"I have kept on proclaiming my innocence and am still fighting the ban but the PCB has not once tried to take up my case or re-examine it or even morally support me. Why I am being treated like this I don't know.
"Maybe because I am from the minority or from Karachi. I just want to tell everyone I am a Pakistani first and then anything else and I have never done corruption at any level be it for Pakistan or Essex," said Kaneria.
Read: Kaneria calls for life-ban review after ICC allows trio to play
"I just want to appeal to the PCB and even the Sindh High Court which is hearing a petition of my case to please re-examine my case and the way the life ban was imposed on me. I was cleared by the Essex police in the spot fixing investigation in England but the England and Wales cricket board used its laws to ban me without giving me a fair hearing.
"If the PCB can look at pardoning three players who have been convicted for spot fixing why shouldn't they give me a chance to plead my case what crime have I committed to deserve such treatment. I keep on sitting alone and become depressive because of the state I am in," said Kaneria.
The trio enjoyed their first day of freedom from their respective bans with some net cricket in Lahore.
"How they play cricket is important but what is more important is how they convince everyone they have changed and redeemed themselves as honest and decent persons. The truth is it is an uphill road for them and they will have to do a lot to show their character and be redeemed in the eyes of many people," said Haroon, reported Press Trust of India.
Read: The return of Butt and Asif — no easy fix
Haroon, who formerly played Tests for Pakistan, added that the three players were not being considered for the upcoming tour to Zimbabwe and the home series against England.
"Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given them a comprehensive reintegration and rehabilitation plan and it will keep them engaged until January. After that when they have a chance to return to first class cricket we will have to see how things go," said Haroon.
Moreover, the PCB also made it clear that in order to get reintegrated back in to the game, Butt and Asif will have to start from the very bottom by playing grade-2 level cricket, thus ruining the plans of the duo to play for the Lahore team in the on-going national T20 championship in Rawalpinidi.
Read: Adnan Akmal falls victim to rare dismissal
"I always knew it would be difficult coming back but just the feeling of being free to play any cricket and train and go to cricket ground or the board academy is enough for me at the moment," said Asif.
"I am just relieved that the ban is over and I am ready to do anything to convince people and my fellow cricketers to forgive us," said the pacer.
Butt spent the afternoon practicing with his club and mingling with his supporters and well-wishers.
Read: Salman Butt should be banned for life: Former PCB chairman
"It is a big relief the ban period is over but our trial is not over and I know a lot of hard work has to be done to get back into mainstream cricket," he said.
Meanwhile leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who is serving a life-ban for promoting spot-fixing while playing County cricket, has drawn attention to the fact that while Butt, Asif and Amir have been allowed another chance, he remains in exile.
"I have kept on proclaiming my innocence and am still fighting the ban but the PCB has not once tried to take up my case or re-examine it or even morally support me. Why I am being treated like this I don't know.
"Maybe because I am from the minority or from Karachi. I just want to tell everyone I am a Pakistani first and then anything else and I have never done corruption at any level be it for Pakistan or Essex," said Kaneria.
Read: Kaneria calls for life-ban review after ICC allows trio to play
"I just want to appeal to the PCB and even the Sindh High Court which is hearing a petition of my case to please re-examine my case and the way the life ban was imposed on me. I was cleared by the Essex police in the spot fixing investigation in England but the England and Wales cricket board used its laws to ban me without giving me a fair hearing.
"If the PCB can look at pardoning three players who have been convicted for spot fixing why shouldn't they give me a chance to plead my case what crime have I committed to deserve such treatment. I keep on sitting alone and become depressive because of the state I am in," said Kaneria.