BELOFF TO SUPPORT REDUCTION IN BANS ON TRIO

Michael Beloff, QC, who led the independent tribunal of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has said that he would certainly reduce the penalties if he gets the authority, The Sports Encounter has learnt.Sources told TSE correspondent, quoting Beloff as saying that the tribunal was told by the ICC that it has a minimum of five years penalization for spot fixing and therefore the tribunal jury was left with no option but to give them the minimum punishment.

The reason why tribunal wanted to give the minimum punishment was the fact that it had no concrete evidences against the trio except the video footages of the no-balls, sources said.

Sources further quoted him as saying that he would reduce the penalty on Mohammad Amir to one year, and award the other two players, i.e. Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, a maximum of 18-24 months of penalization.

Sources said that Michael Beloff was not satisfied with the Term of Reference (TOR) of the ICC Code of Conduct which gives minimum penalization of five years for match fixing and wanted a less harsh punishment for the Pakistani trio, including former skipper Salman Butt, and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

Sources further informed that Beloff said he was not satisfied with the tribunal’s decision and therefore he has recommended changes in the ICC’s Code of Conduct with reference to spot fixing.

The ICC’s Code of Conduct has no direct penalization for spot fixing, sources said adding, that the spot fixing is not a bigger crime as compared to match fixing because it doesn’t change the outcome of the match therefore Beloff wants a lesser punishment on this account.

In the ICC’s Code of Conduct, the penalization for match fixing is two years ban and since spot fixing is a smaller crime in nature its punishment should also be resized, sources quoted Beloff as saying.

Sources further said that Michael Beloff has assured the three Pakistani cricketers of his complete support if they challenge their bans at the International Court of Arbitration for Sports.

Michael Beloff wanted to award two years ban on Mohammad Amir, and 30 months bans on each of Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, sources concluded.

Salman Butt deserved his long ban, says Steve Waugh

FORMER Australian Test captain Steve Waugh says disgraced Pakistan skipper Salman Butt got what he deserved after being found guilty of spot-fixing.

Butt, along with fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, were all suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this week for their roles in spot-fixing during last year's Test against England at Lord's.

The left-handed batsman received a 10-year ban with five years suspended, while Asif was banned for seven years with two suspended and Amir was slapped with a straight five-year ban.

And while Waugh says he has some sympathy for 18-year-old Amir, he was in no doubt about how Butt had disgraced his role as the nation's captain.

"That's a major deterrent. To get five years, for most players, that's your career over,'' Waugh said at the Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi.

"And rightly so for someone like a captain of a team who is responsible for the culture and character of the team and influences younger players. 

"The worst possible sin you can commit as a captain is to do something like that. 

"I feel a little bit, I guess, of compassion for the young guy because he would have seen it happening with the other players. 

"Butt, I don't have any sympathy for him and Mohammad Asif has sort of been a serial offender in a lot of areas. At some stage someone's got to take a stand. 

"There's no point pussy-footing around and making a half-hearted decision. You've got to have a serious deterrent out there to stop people doing it. We'd be very naive to think they're the only ones doing it.'' 

Waugh, who suggested the ICC should use Amir as a `poster-boy' for how you can ruin a promising career by getting involved with corrupt practices, said he hoped the verdicts were timely ahead of the World Cup on the 
subcontinent. 

"It sinks into the players that this is serious now,'' Waugh said. 

"If they are involved or are contemplating it, you're really risking your reputation, you're selling your country out. 

"There's so much stuff that's bad about what they're doing, let's hope they take notice of what's happened.'' 

Waugh also hoped the decision showed the ICC was truly committed to fighting corruption in international cricket. 

"I don't know, I assume they are,'' he said. 

"If they're not, why are the running the game? 

"There's a big issue out there and it's got to be tackled. Someone had to take a step.'' 

Not running away from criminal proceedings: Butt

Disgraced cricketer Salman Butt has said he does not intend to run away from the criminal charges levelled against him by the London Police and would challenge the 10-year ban impose on him for spot-fixing charges in the higher courts. The Pakistani cricketer said it is wrong to say that he would
not go to London, where he has been summoned by the Police on March 17 to answer corruption charges.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had charged Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Aamer with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.

"I have nothing to hide or run away from. I am going to challenge every charge to prove my innocence even in the London court," Butt, who was banned for 10 years by the ICC for spot-fixing, said.

"I don't agree with the sanctions imposed by the International Cricket Council in Doha and I will also be going to London to challenge the case made against me by Scotland Yard in the Crown Prosecutor's office," he told a Pakistani news channel.

The left-hander, who was banned for 10 years with a five year suspension period, also insisted he was confident of making a comeback to cricket.

"Anyone who says my cricket career is over is wrong. I have just turned 26 and even if I have to serve the sanction imposed by the tribunal I will be 30 or 31 when it ends and I will still have four to five years of cricket left in me," he said.

Butt said he hoped he would not have to serve the full five years of his sentence.

"I hope the ban is waived off even if not completely. I have already served six months of suspension. I know it is hard to make a comeback to cricket after five years but you have people playing now at the age of 36 and 37."

Butt said having played international cricket for the last seven years he knew what was required to keep oneself fit and conditioned for top level cricket.

The former Test captain said he did not agree with the tribunal's decision as the sanction imposed on him was not proportionate with the charges against him and they were lacunas in the existing ICC anti-corruption code and laws.

He said the tribunal head Michael Beloff and members had also advised the ICC to review and amend its existing anti-corruption laws.

"That is why I am confident my lawyers are confident that when we appeal to the court of arbitration for sports it will waive off the ban. We hope that the CAS will take notice of the observations made by the tribunal members."

Butt said he was thankful to the people and former players who had supported him.

"I am also not upset with those who did not support me because a lot of people are still not aware what this case is about. The charges of me taking bribes in the Oval Test against England were dropped by the ICC and the interesting thing is we won that match and their was no match fixing or spot fixing," he said.

Salman Butt, Asif will have to ‘confess to prevent longer ban sanctions’

Tainted Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif will have to sign full confessions to avoid the suspended part of their sentences being enforced in the spot-fixing case, which may deter them from appealing to the Court of Arbitration in Sports (CAS) in Switzerland.Last week, an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hear into the spot-fixing case imposed a ‘sanction of ten years ineligibility’ on Salman Butt, “five years of which are suspended on condition that he commits no further breach of the code and that he participates under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of Anti-Corruption education.”

On Mohammad Asif, a sanction of seven years ineligibility has been imposed, two years of which are suspended “on condition that he commits no further breach of the code and that he participates under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme of Anti-Corruption education,” whereas the tribunal imposed a “sanction of five years of ineligibility” on Mohammad Amir, the youngest of the three accused.

Both Asif and Butt will have to make full confessions and show appropriate remorse for their suspended sentences to be waived, conditions which may deter them from appealing to the CAS, The Daily Telegraph quoted sources close to the investigation, as saying.

While the written judgments of the ICC disciplinary panel would be handed to the three players, the governing body may be unable to make them public due to a parallel criminal investigation being pursued by police in London, the report added.

Earlier this month, British prosecutors had “authorised charges of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and also conspiracy to cheat” against the three Pakistani players as well as alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed.

Simon Clements, head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Special Crime Division said the trio had been summonsed to appear for a first hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 17, and that they “have been asked to return to this country voluntarily, as they agreed to do in September last year. Their extradition will be sought should they fail to return.”

Clements said the CPS had been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service since the spot-fixing allegations became public on 29 August 2010, and that they had ‘sufficient evidence’ against the accused “for a realistic prospect of conviction”. 

The ICC is now taking advice from media law specialists after the CPS advised the board not to publish the judgment for fear of prejudicing any criminal trial, the report said. 

The judgment could be published outside Britain but it would be hard to prevent it from being accessed on the internet, which may persuade the ICC to keep it private until a later date.

Afridi loves to entertain the crowds

Flamboyant and controversial, Shahid Afridi came to the world's notice as a 16-year-old when he blasted the fastest century in a one-day match from 37 balls against the helpless Sri Lankans.

Fourteen years on and now Pakistan captain, Afridi still enjoys playing to the gallery.

"I love entertaining the crowds. I know people come to watch me hit the sixers," he said. "But after becoming captain I have tried to be more sensible while batting or bowling. I want victories for the team not just individual laurels."

A veteran of 312 one-day internationals, Afridi has never been short of talent. He is a hard-hitting batsman capable of savaging any attack on his day and good enough to pick up 292 one-day wickets with his leg-spin.

For Pakistan to have a chance of doing well in the forthcoming World Cup, Afridi will have to produce the same sort of inspirational performances as he did in the 2009 T20 World Cup.

The all-rounder picked up the man-of-the-match awards in the semi-final and final as he fired on all cylinders with bat and ball to give Pakistan the title.

"That T20 World Cup win was memorable for me and my team mates but personally winning the 50-overs World Cup this year would be a far greater achievement for me," Afridi told Reuters before leaving for the New Zealand tour in December

Shahid Khan Afridi says Team is ready for WC

Captain of Pakistan’s One Day International team, Shahid Khan Afridi, said on late Monday that the team was in a good shape to take on the very best in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

He was talking to media after landing at Jinnah International Airport after returning from a successful New Zealand tour.Afridi said on the occasion that the series against New Zealand was of optimum importance for Pakistan and the way the team performed has made it into a good shape ahead of the huge tournament.

Agreeing to the fact that the spinners will have a leading role to play in the World Cup Afridi said, “We couldn’t use our spinners in the New Zealand tour due to the conditions which were conducive for fast bowlers but yeah spinners will play vital role in the world cup on sub-continent pitches”.

He added, “We have got some warmup matches where we can utilise our spinners which will give them the perfect preparation for the huge event”.

He said all the players including him were in good form which will help the team in getting big victories in the mega-event.

Afridi also praised performance of his fast bowlers and said that Shoaib Akhtar and Sohail Tanvir are doing a fine job with the new ball.

Afridi further stated that there is little chance of any changes in the World Cup squad but the final call has to be made by the national selection committee.

However, skipper Afridi avoided talking on spot fixing case.