LONDON, (Reuters) – Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt has appealed against his suspension from the game for alleged spot-fixing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday.
Butt’s team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had yet to follow suit, the ICC said in a statement.
“The ICC has been formally notified by Pakistan player Salman Butt that he wishes to appeal against the provisional suspension imposed on him under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
“Under the terms of the code the ICC Code of Conduct Commission chairman Michael Beloff will determine the issue of whether the provisional suspension should remain in place until the substantive hearing on the charges,” the ICC statement read.
The three Pakistani players have been suspended while an investigation takes place into newspaper allegations they had deliberately arranged for no-balls to be delivered at last month’s fourth test against England at Lord’s.
All three have denied wrongdoing and have been supported by Pakistan cricket chiefs.
“The ICC Anti-Corruption Code provides the opportunity for the players to appeal against the imposition of the provisional suspension and the ICC shall convene an independent hearing as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said.
“In the meantime the player remains provisionally suspended from all cricket.”
The ICC also launched an investigation into suspicious scoring patterns by Pakistan in the third one dayer against England, which the visitors won.
COMPLEX ISSUES
Earlier, Lorgat told Sky Sports News the investigation into the scandal was complex.
“It is even more so when it is alongside a criminal investigation and I am sure none of us wants to prejudice that investigation, but it is complicated.”
Asked if he thought corruption was rife in cricket, Lorgat replied: “I don’t believe so. On the contrary I think there are many, many players who are well and truly educated on what they need to be cautious and watchful for.
“There are many players who have reported suspicious approaches to us. These few instances, where we have breaches we follow through thoroughly.
“I still believe that people trust the game. We have demonstrated and we will certainly ensure that the integrity of the sport is upheld.
“I have no doubt that at the end of the day we will do everything possible to prove the sport is clean.”
Lorgat told a teleconference with Pakistani reporters that calls by some for Pakistan to be suspended from cricket were misplaced.
“We have to separate a few individuals if they are proven guilty from a team and nation. I don’t believe an entire team or entire nation should be held responsible,” he said.
Lorgat said Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt should not have gone public with allegations of match-fixing by England players.
England’s players, through the ECB, have demanded an apology from Butt after he told a television station he had heard from bookmakers that English players were involved in fixing matches.
“I would have been more satisfied if Butt had made a direct approach to ACSU (ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) and provided what ever information and evidence he has got that could have been helpful for relations between PCB and ECB,” said Lorgat.
