Impossible to eradicate spot-fixing

PCB chief Ijaz Butt believes that it is impossible to completely eradicate spot-fixing.

"To control the spot-fixing, especially prior to its happening, is almost impossible not only for the PCB but for the ICC as well," said Butt in an interview to News One channel on Thursday.

"It has to be an all out effort from all concerned to ensure that such wrongdoing does not occur in the future," the PCB chairman added.

On the measures taken by the PCB to eradicate corruption from the game, butt, without elaborating, vowed to come down even harder on the culprits in the future.

"PCB and ICC have taken a lot of steps, future plans have been drafted to pursues a policy of zero tolerance to corruption," Butt maintained.

The spot-fixing scandal had rocked world cricket after a British tabloid revealed that a bookmaker Mazhar Majeed had bribed three Pakistani players -- Test skipper Salman Butt, pace duo Muhammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord's.

The ICC quickly sprang into action and provisionally suspended the trio in early September. Their hearing is due next month in Doha.

Butt''s lawyer reaches Lahore for spot-fixing hearing

Suspended Test captain Salman Butt's lawyer has reached Lahore from London in relation to the charges of spot-fixing which are to be heard against the Pakistani player in Doha next month by the International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal.

Yasin Patel, a barrister of Indian origin based in the United Kingdom, is now representing Butt in the spot-fixing allegations case after the Pakistani player changed atleast three lawyers in the past few months.

Patel said from Lahore he couldn't discuss anything about the case because of its confidential nature but confirmed he was in town with relation to the case.

"Patel is scheduled to also meet with the Pakistan Cricket Board's legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi in Lahore," one source said.

Patel has been hired by Butt after being represented by lawyers, Aftab Gul, Khalid Ranjha and Aitzaz Ahsan and associates in the past few months.

Gul and Ranjha had represented him in the ICC tribunal hearing in Dubai in November which heard Butt's appeal against his provisional suspension by the ICC and rejected it.

One source said that Patel was also in Lahore to talk to the PCB about their decision to suspend Butt's contract and withhold payment of nearly 8.5 million rupees which is outstanding tour fees, bonuses and match fees for this year.

Butt, along with Muhammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were provisionally suspended by the ICC in early September after a 'News Of The World' revelation that Mazhar Majeed had bribed them to deliberately bowl no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord's.

Source: ESPNstar.com



















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