Cricket Cheats Jailed
Mazhar Majeed
Three Pakistani cricketers, Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir, were sentenced to jail terms by Justice Jeremy Cooke at Southwark crown court on Thursday morning.
Former Pakistani skipper Salman Butt, 27, described by the judge as the “orchestrator” of the spot-fixing scam, was sentenced to 30 months for his role in conspiracy to bowl three deliberate no-balls for financial gain during the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010. He was also sentenced to 24 months in jail for conspiracy to cheat. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Fast bowler Asif, 28, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on both counts, which too will run concurrently.
Bowler Amir, 19, who pleaded guilty and was not tried, was sentenced to six months in a young offenders’ institution on both counts, which will run concurrently.
British-born Pakistani origin businessman Mazher Majeed, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to 32 months jail for his role in the conspiracy to obtain corrupt payments and 16 months for conspiracy to cheat. His sentences too will run concurrently.
After sentencing, Butt, Asif and Majeed were taken in a police van to Wandsworth prison in southwest London and Amir was sent to Feltham in west London.
Justice Cooke reserved his most scathing comments for Butt and Majeed, saying cricket, which used to be known for fair play, had been “damaged” by the spot-fixing scam. He described them as “the architects” of the fixing scam.
“Now, whenever people look back on a surprising event in a game or a surprising result or whenever in future there are surprising events or results, followers of the game who have paid good money to watch it live or to watch it on TV... will be led to wonder whether there has been a fix and whether what they have been watching is a genuine contest. What ought to be honest sporting competition may not be such at all,” he said.
The judge said the offences were “so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice to mark the nature of the crimes and to deter any other cricketer, agent or anyone else.”
The judge said Butt was “more culpable” than Amir and Asif because of his “leadership status” and his “direct involvement with Majeed”.
The three cricketers and Majeed will only have to serve half their sentences in jail.
“Each of you will serve half the time imposed in custody and then you will be released on licence. If you breach your licence or commit any other offence, you may be brought back to serve the remainder of your sentence,” Justice Cooke said.
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