Karachi, Dec. 14: Former captain Salman Butt insists a London ice-cream parlour could help clear him of ‘spot-fixing’ allegations made as part of the corruption scandal surrounding the Pakistan cricket team.
Butt said thousands of pounds discovered in his London hotel room after a ‘sting operation’ conducted by Britain’s News of the World tabloid, came from daily tour allowances, bat sponsorship and the ice-cream parlour opening.
His explanation is set to form part of his defence at a make-or-break disciplinary hearing, in Doha on January 6. Butt set out his case in a lengthy interview in Lahore to a British-based Sky Sports News on Monday. “We get paid daily allowances on tours and it was a long tour, so about £11,000 of this money was from it,” he said. “Being captain I have extra allowance which amounts to about £4,500 from the tour — which I had with me,” Butt said.
“The rest of the money was advanced payment for my bat stickers which I was under contract by Capital Cricket which shows on the back of my bat.”
Pressed on whether the money was “clean”, Butt said: “Of course, 100 per cent. £2,500 was given to me for the opening of an ice-cream parlour in Tooting (south London). I had opened the ice-cream parlour along with Mohammad Amir. And that’s what we were paid for.”
Butt insisted there was no way as a novice skipper he could have improperly influenced Amir and Asif. “These kind of people do not let others decide their roles,” he argued.
Butt, Asif and Amir have been suspended until the ICC hearing in Doha.
“I wish all three of us get back and play for our country which is our passion because we love cricket and we would love to get back and play for our country,” Butt said.