Fox Sports quoted Lawson, as saying that he had mixed feelings about cricket's spot-fixing scandal, but wanted to go into bat for Butt by supplying a character reference at the tribunal hearing.
"I have no idea what he (Butt) did, but I treat people as I find them. I had always found him fine. I've got sadness about the whole affair. I've got two different views on it. I feel for the people individually but we don't want this sort of stuff in the game and we need deterrents in the game," Lawson was quoted, as saying.
Disgraced former captain Butt has been banned for 10 years, but is set to appeal against the decision. He has stirred fresh controversy by landing a new job working as a television commentator in Pakistan during the World Cup starting this month on the subcontinent.
