KARACHI – Former Pakistan cricket team captain Salman Butt said on Tuesday that he asked an anti-corruption tribunal to put off a hearing next month so he can deal with any possible criminal proceedings in London.
Along with pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, the 26-year-old cricketer was provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on charges of spot-fixing during Lord’s Test against England in August.
The trio faces an ICC tribunal in Doha from January 6-11, which will decide whether the suspension turns into a ban or they are absolved of the charges. “I have requested the hearing to be put off so that I can settle the possible case in London and the ICC tribunal will hold a tele-conference on Wednesday to take a decision on my request,” Salman said.
The trio faces a potential criminal case from Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service, which received two reports from Scotland Yard police who raided the team’s hotel in London. The News of the World newspaper claimed several Pakistani players took money to obey orders from an alleged book-maker Mazhar Majeed at Lord’s.
Salman said that British-based lawyer Yasin Patel will fight his case in Doha and other lawyers helped him send a reply to the ICC. “Patel will be my lawyer but we want to settle the Crown Prosecution case first, if it is initiated, and then fight the ICC charges,” he said.
Aamer and Asif do not intend to seek to delay the ICC case. “We want to attend the Doha hearing,” said Shahid Karim, a lawyer to Aamer. “Maybe Salman’s lawyer needs time to prepare for the case but we want to attend the January hearing,” he said.
