Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir excluded from the remainder of English tour – Yawar Saeed
Yawar Saeed while talking to reporters in England today has said that the three players alleged to be involved in spot-fixing will not be playing for the remainder of the tour, with the team manager having informed the selectors for the need of three replacements for these players.
However, Yawar Saeed was quick to assert that Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have not been suspended. In another statement, following speculations in the media that the accused players would be suspended, the PCB chairman was quick to defend the Pakistani players, “There is a case going on over here with Scotland Yard. This is only an allegation. There is still no charge or proof on the account. So at this stage, no action will be taken.”
Pakistan is all set to play a warm-up match against Somerset today where Salman, Asif and Amir will be missing from action. Instead, they are attending an inquiry at the Pakistan High Commission in London today. Pakistan will go into the warm up match today amidst blatant and wild accusations levelled against the team, with their morale taking quite a bashing at the hands of the media who have missed no opportunity to malign the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket team.
The trio will meet board officials today following the announcement of the PCB to hold an internal inquiry into the matter as well. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hasan-c61990. No ICC official has been included in these talks.
Meanwhile on the contrary, the rest of the squad had another training session at the County Ground and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Salman-c88163 Butt has stated that he wants his team to focus on the ODI series, and not let the allegations affect their morale. The England Cricket Board has been tough on their stance insisting that the players should be suspended until the final report decides their fate, and they must not be allowed to play in the remainder of the series that starts with two T20 Internationals.
However, as the three players headed for London, a senior English journalist asked the captain, “will you be back?” to which he promptly replied, “Yes, why not?” Butt’s insistence that he will return has removed all doubt over whether the three players will be suspended. However, they will not play for the remainder of the tour.
"The feeling among the players is that they are professional cricketers and the matches will go ahead," Angus http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Porter-c82384, the Professional Cricketers' Association chief executive said, "but they don't want them to become sideshows so there is a preference that it would be beneficial if the three players didn't appear."
Amir on the other hand seemed chirpy at the team hotel on Wednesday morning with a smile on his face, while Salman Butt still wore a sceptical look on his face. Both players have received strong support from Pakistan Head Coach Waqar Younis and Fielding Coach Ijaz Ahmed. Asif however, is said to have confined himself in his room since the allegations made it to the headlines.
Yawar Saeed also stated that there was no pressure on him, and that instead of asking for a ban or suspension it would be wise for all the concerned parties to wait till the ICC and the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756 Yard submits the final report. He has also stated that the team that will be playing the warm up match against Somerset today will be playing the Twenty20’s against England as well.
"The T20 squad will remain what it is here this morning, i.e. 13 people," Saeed said. "When we play the one-day internationals we will be asking for replacements to make the squad up to 16,” Saeed said while speaking to the media at Taunton today.
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