Thaindian News

By Omar Khalid
London, Sep 2 (IANS) Pakistan declared Thursday that it will defend its tainted trio of cricketers in the court of law, insisting that they are innocent till proven guilty.

After a 90-minute meeting with Pakistan’s Test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - the three players at the centre of an alleged betting scam - Pakistan’s High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan said the three will stay in Britain and will prove their innocence.

“They are extremely disturbed with what has happened,” Hasan told reporters outside the Pakistan High Commission here.

“They are entirely innocent. They further maintain that, on account of the mental torture, they are not in the right frame of mind and have requested the PCB to take them out of the team from the current tour.”

Hasan said that he believes that the players are innocent.

“I believe that they are innocent. They are innocent until proven guilty. They are here. They are not running anywhere. They say they are innocent and want to clear their names. The investigations are on. We have to wait,” he said.

Hasan said that the Pakistan High Commission will continue to help the players.

“We will, inshaallah, stand vindicated. They are Pakistani nationals. It’s the duty of the Pakistani mission to help them,” he said.