Feb. 6: International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Sunday three Pakistan players — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir — were banned on solid proof of corruption.
“We are satisfied at the tribunal’s decision, which was taken on solid evidence and we hope with this decision the image of the game will improve,” Lorgat told a press conference in Doha. Lorgat, who was accompanied by the head of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), Ronnie Flanagan, was speaking a day after Butt, Amir and Asif were handed lengthy bans for spot-fixing. Butt was banned for 10 years, with five years suspended, while Asif and Amir were handed bans of seven years with two suspended and five years respectively.
The charges relate to alleged incidents during the Test against England at Lord’s last year, when Britain’s News of the World newspaper claimed the players were willing to deliberately bowl no-balls. Lorgat rejected the suggestion that the punishments were lenient. “I don’t believe the sentences are lenient by any stretch of the imagination,” said Lorgat. “I think they are balanced with an expert and experienced jury dealing with the case.”
The three-man tribunal was headed by Michael Beloff QC and also contained Albie Sachs of South Africa and Sharad Rao of Kenya. “In legal terms you have to be proportionate when you are giving punishment and we must distinguish between match-fixing and spot-fixing, and the jury was independent and they decided on proportionate punishments,” said Lorgat.
Lorgat said the verdict will send a clear message to the cricket world. “While I am deeply saddened that this case happened in the first place, I acknowledge and commend the decision to deliver lengthy bans to all three players.
“Corruption in our game will never be tolerated and, once again, I reiterate our zero-tolerance approach. I hope this investigation, and the verdicts delivered, makes that message crystal-clear.”