Verdict on suspended Pakistan players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Amir deferred till February 5th
The tribunal hearing the case of the three suspended Pakistani players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, has postponed the verdict till the 5th
of February. The trio will remain provisionally suspended until the decision is announced. The tribunal has also revealed that in addition to the Lord’s no-ball incident, Butt is also being investigated on another Test played at the Oval between Pakistan
and England.
The tribunal’s statement said, “The tribunal has been constituted to hear charges against Butt, Amir and Asif brought under the ICC's anti-corruption code in relation to two Tests played during August 2010 between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and
England, the Oval Test and the Lord's Test.”
On the deferral of the verdict, commissioner of the three-man tribunal, Michael Beloff, said, “The tribunal have throughout been very conscious of the importance of these proceedings to the three players and the wider world of
cricket. The tribunal has therefore determined to continue its deliberations and hold a further hearing in Doha on the fifth of February of this year, at which its decisions will be handed down to the parties and any consequential matters will be dealt with.”
The 5-day hearing began on the 6th of January and it was expected that a decision on the future of the players will be reached on Tuesday, 11th January. Through the course of the trial, all three players presented
their defence against the spot-fixing charges.
The case against the three players has seemingly gotten stronger due to the differences between the defence presented by Butt and Asif. Early in the hearing, Butt was questioned by Asif’s lawyer Alexander Cameron. Subsequently
on Monday, Butt’s lawyer Yasin Patel cross examined Asif. Amir, however, has not been dragged into any such brawl.
The young left-arm fast bowler’s lawyer, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347 Karim, will be satisfied with the tribunal’s decision. Karim had requested that a decision be deferred to a later date so that the judges could give a ruling after considering every
aspect of the case.
The delay effectively means that the three players will most likely not be part of the 2011 World Cup, even if they are freed of the charges, which begins on the 19th of February. The ICC is keen to impose its zero tolerance
policy on this matter. Hence, the future of the allegedly disgraced players appears to be bleak.
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