ICC uphold suspensions of Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir
The spot-fixing saga that almost took cricketing relations between England and Pakistan to breaking point in the summer moved a step closer to resolution.
The International Cricket Council decided to uphold the provisional suspensions of two Pakistan players, Salman Butt (pictured), the batsman and captain during the Test series that is currently under investigation, and Mohammad Amir, the fast bowler. The decision was taken by the ICC after appeals from both men were dismissed at a hearing convened in Doha.
The players were suspended by the ICC along with Mohammad Asif, who had previously withdrawn his appeal against his suspension, until the results of an investigation into spot-fixing allegations that first came to light after an undercover sting by the News of the World which broke the story during the fourth Test match at Lords in August.
The report alleged the trio had colluded in the act of bowling of no balls to order to facilitate betting scams.
A statement from the ICC said: "The chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, Michael Beloff, QC, has heard in Dubai the challenge by two http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 players - Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir - against the provisional suspensions imposed on 2 September 2010 under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
"After considering all the evidence Mr Beloff has rejected both challenges. As such, the players remain provisionally suspended from all cricket pending the outcome of the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal which will hear their disciplinary cases in due course.
"As he chose not to challenge his provisional suspension, a third player - Mohammad Asif - also remains provisionally suspended.
"The ICC will make no further comment on this matter at this time."
The first authority to take action was the Metropolitan police who questioned all three players at the Pakistan team hotel during the fourth Test and confiscated mobile phones as part of their investigation.
The ICC took its own action when it became clear that the Pakistan Cricket Board was not prepared to suspend the players themselves, who have always proclaimed their innocence.
All three men must now await the conclusion of the ICC’s investigation. If found guilty, they are likely to be banned from cricket for life.
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