Thaindian News

London, June 21 (IANS) Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was released Thursday from a Canterbury prison and deported to Pakistan after serving just seven months of his 30-month sentence for spot-fixing in a Test match.

Butt became the last of the three Pakistani players after Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer to be released from prison after being jailed for their roles in a match-fixing scandal during the infamous Lord’s Test against England in 2010.

He was found guilty last November of masterminding the conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments by ensuring no-balls were bowled at predetermined times in the Lord’s Test.

Mazhar Majeed, the London-based sports agent at the heart of the fixing scandal, is still serving his 32-month sentence, having had an appeal rejected last month.

A Prison Service spokeswoman was quoted by Daily Mail as saying: “We do not comment on the release date of individual prisoners.”

Under the early removal scheme, foreign national prisoners may be removed up to nine months before their normal release date, providing they are being deported from the UK.

Butt’s barrister, Yasin Patel, said the disgraced cricketer had suffered a lot and will now begin to work his way back to the sport.

“Salman Butt has had to endure a great deal of suffering, strain, pressure and humiliation over many months, both personally and on behalf of his family,” Patel said.

“His return back home will allow Salman to spend time with his family and relatives. He will get to see and hold his son whom he has not seen since his birth in November last year,” the barrister said.

“He can now return to his beloved homeland, start to rebuild his reputation and begin the long process in his efforts to return back to top-level cricket. He is tired and jaded.”

Patel said, “Once he has had a little rest, you can rest assured that Salman Butt will talk to the media when the time is right.”