Mixed reaction from former cricketers over dismissal of Butt and Amir’s appeals
Mixed reaction from former Pakistan cricketers and officials have been seen over the decision of International Cricket Council (ICC) to sustain suspensions of Test captain Salman Butt and teenage pacer Mohammad Amir over their alleged involvement in a 'spot-fixing'
scandal.
Both the players along with Mohammad Asif, another new-ball bowler of Pakistan, were provisionally suspended by the ICC on 2nd of September after a British tabloid,
News of the World, claimed that the trio was involved in spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England in the last week of August.
The tabloid had claimed that a bookie named http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed had paid Amir and Asif to bowl a few deliberate no-balls during the last Test of the four-match series played at the ‘home of cricket’.
All the three players had filed separate appeals against their suspension but Asif later withdrew his appeal on the advice of his counsel. Both Butt and Amir attended the hearing of their appeals at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai. The appeals were heard by
Michael Belof, the Head of ICC’s Code of Conduct Commission on 30th and 31st of October. At the end of the two-day hearing, the suspensions were upheld.
Former cricketers of Pakistan showed mixed reaction over the decision. Former Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Tauqir Zia supported the decision and said that the dismissal of the appeals was justified.
"The decision was expected because ICC would not have suspended these players for so long without any basis," said Zia.
However, former leg-spin bowler of Pakistan Abdul Qadir still feels the ICC is has some sort of discrimination with the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket.
"Pakistani players have been targeted by the ICC. India's Suresh Raina has also been alleged to have been in contact with bookmakers, but that case was not taken up," said the leg-spinner.
According to another former Pakistani cricketer Asif Iqbal, the decision was not at all surprising for him.
"It may be disappointing, but it was expected because the ICC upholding the suspension proves that they have enough evidence against the players to levy those sanctions", said Iqbal.
The former captain of Pakistan said that the suspension should not be taken as punishment. He said that the players were suspended by the apex body after Pakistan cricket authorities did not respond in a timely manner to the allegations.
He further added that had the PCB taken the decision to withdraw the alleged trio instead of declaring that players were withdrawing themselves, the circumstances would have been very different.
The innocence or guilt of the suspended cricketers, who have declined any transgression, will now be judged by the full committee. The date of the independent tribunal has yet to be decided.
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