Thaindian News

Karachi, Oct 13 (IANS) Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt called the spot-fixing incident a “very sad” episode during his tenure, and hoped the measures taken by the board will curb the menace in the future.

The spot-fixing trial involving three Pakistani cricketers — former skipper Salman Butt, fast bowler Mohammad Asif and teenage bowler Mohammad Aamir — is now on at London’s Southwark Crown Court.

Butt and Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, relating to the Lord’s Test in August last year. They allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenage fast bowler Aamir and other unknown people to bowl pre-determined no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.

“I cannot control what individuals do. We cannot monitor them 24/7. It was and remains a very sad episode. We at the PCB have been trying to do what we can possibly do to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t occur in the future,” Butt, whose tenure ended Saturday, was quoted as saying in pakpasion.net.

“We have implemented educational programmes at all levels of domestic cricket, from first class cricket right down to club cricket, to ensure that all of the players know the difference between right and wrong.”

“We have had a team of individuals working on this project led by Wasim Bari and they are working all over Pakistan, including in the rural areas, educating cricketers at all levels,” he said.

Butt said he enjoyed his stint as the PCB chairmman and feels he had fulfilled the targets he set for himself.

“I enjoyed my stay. I think I have tried my best. I accept some criticism as I have made some mistakes also. I think I have achieved what I had planned,” Butt said.

“I think there were a number of good things (during my term). The curbing and subsequent elimination of player power is one good thing and we have been able to get youngsters coming through the system and into the Pakistan team in all formats. The strengthening of domestic cricket is something that I feel has gone well and I think domestic cricket in Pakistan is set up nicely for the future,” Butt said.

Speaking over former skipper Shahid Afridi’s fallout with the board, Butt said they had not hesitated in taking action against those who breached the discipline.

“I don’t wish to talk about individual episodes but we have brought discipline into the team and we have been very strict on enforcing discipline and there have been no compromises on discipline.”

“We took strict action on any player who didn’t adhere to the disciplinary codes we have enforced and who went beyond the disciplinary steps laid down by the International Cricket Council.”