Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Hasan condemns ICC’s suspensions
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Wajid Shamsul Hasan has heavily criticized the decision of the ICC to suspend Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, claiming that the ICC was “playing to the public gallery”.
Following reports of spot-fixing, the public has reacted strongly to the allegations leveled against Pakistani players with some ‘experts’ even going as far as suggesting the entire team ought to be banned. The appropriate way to go about it would have been to wait for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756 Yard to submit the report before any action was taken against the players. However, in the face of accusations by a certain British tabloid renowned for false reporting, the ICC has decided to suspend the three players.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s envoy to England was very vocal about his disappointment at the decision made by the ICC saying that they had made a “mistake” and that it had “no business in taking this action, saying that the governing body of cricket had assured them that they would wait until Scotland Yard’s investigations were over.
He also stated that the ICC chief executive http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed was,” Wajid Shamsul Hasan stated.
He further went on to say that during the meeting, Lorgat received a call from ICC president Sharad Pawar, and he left the premises. Soon after, a document was prepared and “pushed under the doors of the players.”
The Pakistan camp certainly seems perturbed at this recent development, with one source citing that they had not received any dossier carrying charges on the basis of which the players have been suspended by the ICC, mentioning that there had been no indication of a suspension earlier in the week.
Following the ongoing investigation by Scotland Yard which has yet to find solid evidence linking the Pakistani players to the spot fixing allegations, it is indeed surprising that the ICC would take such a decision based on reports from a tabloid which are to date unsubstantiated. The tabloid has been involved in several libels and lawsuits against them, for publishing false stories against celebrities and popular sports personalities.
Hasan’s remarks have come in the face of his previous statement reiterating that this was a “set up.” It is the first time in the history of cricket that players have been suspended on the basis of mere accusations.
Tags: