ICC likely to ban Pakistan’s tainted trio
December 7th, 2010 - 2:19 pm ICT by IANSBy Omar Khalid
Karachi, Dec 7 (IANS) Pakistan’s suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer face an uphill task at next month’s full hearing to be conducted by an independent tribunal appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told IANS that the three players will most likely be found guilty of association with match-fixers and face life bans.
A recent statement by ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat suggested that the game’s governing body will seal the case in its favour and also indicated that the ICC has gathered solid proof against the trio, who will face the tribunal in Doha January 6.
According to sources, most of the evidence gathered against the players is in the form of recorded telephone calls and text messages through which ICC believes it will prove their association with match-fixers.
Salman, Asif and Amir were provisionally suspended last September after allegations of corruption were hurled at them by News of The World. The British tabloid alleged that Asif and Aamer bowled deliberate no-balls on the instructions of match-fixers.
Well-placed sources said that Salman and Asif will be handed life bans if proved guilty but the tribunal could show some mercy for 18-year-old Amir and he could walk away with a ban of two to five years.
The ICC, which suspended the players when the allegations were first made by the British tabloid, also held a hearing against the players’ provisional suspensions in Dubai in October that was rejected by the one-man tribunal that comprised Michael Beloff.
While Salman and Amir had appealed against their provisional suspension, Asif chose not to and instead opted for a full hearing.
The hearing rejected appeals against the suspension, creating a ruckus between Salman’s lawyers, who said that the tribunal was biased.
Beloff will also head January’s full hearing against the trio along with fellow code of conduct commissioners Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Kenya’s Sharad Rao.
- ICC rejects Butt, Aamer appeals against suspension - Oct 31, 2010
- ICC tribunal hearings over Pak trio in Jan will have no link with Oct findings: Lorgat - Nov 15, 2010
- Hearing of spot-fixing case against tainted Pak trio set for January 2011 - Nov 13, 2010
- Tainted trio's hearing to be held in January - Nov 12, 2010
- PCB will not allow tainted trio in domestic matches - Sep 27, 2010
- ICC rejects Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir's appeals against suspensions - Oct 31, 2010
- Pakistani cricketers face London trial for spot-fixing - Oct 03, 2011
- Spot-fixing verdict on Pak cricketers would not affect World Cup: ICC chief - Jan 15, 2011
- Butt flouts ICC directive, claim reports - Jan 28, 2011
- Lorgat confident of ICC's case against 'tainted' Pak cricketers - Dec 05, 2010
- Suspended Pak trio should approach CAS to get spot-fixing clean chit: Sarfraz Nawaz - Nov 04, 2010
- Suspended Butt, Amir accuse ICC of 'conspiracy to defame Pakistan cricket' - Nov 02, 2010
- Corruption in cricket will never be tolerated, says ICC chief - Feb 06, 2011
- Mani says ICC Chief Executive's Pak 'spot-fixing' remarks uncalled for - Dec 08, 2010
- ICC hints at lesser penalty for Amir, as tainted Pak trio prepare separate defences - Oct 03, 2010
Tags: beloff, british tabloid, doha, face life, governing body, independent tribunal, international cricket council, january 6, karachi, last september, mohammad asif, news of the world, omar khalid, pakistan cricket board, pakistan cricket board pcb, ruckus, salman, telephone calls, text messages, uphill task