T20 Pak vs. Eng 2010: Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif suspended by the ICC under anti-corruption code
Trio of the Pakistani players caught up in the Lord’s spot-fixing scandal has been suspended by the International Cricket Council under the Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. ICC’s move came hours after the Pakistan Cricket Board withdrew the suspected trio – featuring skipper Salman Butt, teenage pacer Mohammad Amir and World’s No 3 Mohammad Asif, from the upcoming limited over series against England that includes two T20s and five One Day Internationals.
A press release from ICC read that the trio had been charged with assorted transgressions under the provisions of Article 2 of the Anti-Corruption Code for players and the Player Support Staff pertaining to their suspected performance during the fourth and the last Test against England at Lord’s last week.
The spot-fixing allegations revolve around an article published in the News of the World on Sunday, 29th August in which it was claimed that the new-ball pair of Pakistan – Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – was paid for three deliberate no balls. 35-year-old Bookie http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mazhar-c75448 Majeed, purportedly received £ 150,000 from the undercover reporters of the tabloid, who posed themselves to be members of a gambling cartel.
The press release further revealed that all the three players have officially been notified of the charges they are assumed to have committed and the trio has been conditionally suspended in the course of a decision on those offences. According to the provisions of the Article 2 of ICC Anti-Corruption Code, the players are straight away debarred from taking part in all cricket and related activities as long as the pending case is resolved.
The suspended players have a right to challenge the interim suspension within 14 days of the receipt of the charge sheet.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 camp, however, has claimed that they were not informed by the ICC about the decision of suspension. An official from Pakistan Cricket said that the investigations of Scotland Yards have not yet been concluded and no evidence has yet been shared with PCB or PHC, so it is a bit inappropriate to take any such decision right now.
Earlier in the morning, a robust protest came from the Pakistan officials about the innocence of alleged players. Wajid Shamsul http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hasan-c61990, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to UK, in an interview with a news channel suggested that the trio had been trapped by a “set-up.”
ICC’s Chief Executive, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Haroon-Lorgat-c61719 on the other hand uttered clearly that corruption in the game would not be tolerated at any cost. Lorgat said that this is high time to be decisive on such issues, as these are affecting the future of cricket adversely. The ICC chief executive said that if proven the guilt on these players, the ICC will award severe penalties to them and even a life ban cannot be out of consideration. Lorgat further added that the International Cricket Council would take every possible step to keep such demeanour out of cricket, and ICC will stop at nothing to safeguard the integrity of game.
On a query regarding delayed decision taken against the alleged players, the chief executive said that it was not possible for ACSU to take any action before because the necessary homework required was not completed, and also the ICC did not want to prejudice the criminal investigations of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756 Yards and other investigation agencies.
The ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel was revised and reinforced in 2009 with an undisputed support from the members of International Cricket Council. Since then, the power of suspension has been executed for the first time. Now an autonomous panel will inquire the matter. The independent panel cannot have any representative from the member country concerned, Pakistan in this case. And if proven guilty of committing alleged offence, the players would be subject to the sanctions under the provisions of Article 6 of code.
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