LAHORE – Cricket’s governing body released its findings from a corruption investigation which resulted in three Pakistan players being banned at the weekend for five years. When handing down the verdict, the tribunal expressed the view that the full written judgment should be published widely so that the interested parties can read and fully understand the reasons behind the bans.
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC Chief Executive, said: “It is the ICC’s intention to be as transparent an organisation as is feasible and to publish all its reports and findings for the benefit of stakeholders. Publishing the full written determination of the tribunal is clearly in the best interest of cricket.”
The 102-page judgement has quoted text messages between alleged bookmaker Mazher Majeed and former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, and two Pakistan bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, revealing the extent of contact between them during the Lord’s and Oval Tests last year.
Telephone records indicate conversations between the agent and the three players in the moments after a British tabloid reporter, posing as Mohsin Khan, handed over 140,000 dollars to secure the bowling of the three no-balls. The report stated: “Mr Majeed immediately called Mr Asif, at 23.16 (for 30 seconds) then called Mr Butt, then called Mr Amir three times (23.39, 23.38 and 23.48) without success.”
“Mr Majeed then called Mr Amir again at 1.24am, and this time Mr Amir answered and they spoke for 21 seconds. Furthermore, Mr Amir texted Mr Majeed at 06.24 and 06.28 the next morning of Aug 26, 2010.” “Then Mr Majeed called Mr Amir again at 08.14 the next morning of August 26, 2010 and they spoke for 26 seconds.”
The other ‘uncontroverted evidence’ on which the tribunal focused was the ‘testimony of the telephone billings’ given to them, indicating the time and the duration of the calls between Majeed and the three players, whose accuracy was not challenged. The tribunal noted that both Amir and Asif bowled no balls that coincided exactly with those predicted for their deliveries. The tribunal found that the ICC had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Butt “played a significant part in both establishing and securing the implementation of a spot fixing agreement under which three balls would be bowled at pre-determined moments in the game,” thus being guilty of corrupt conduct under Article 2.1.1 of the Code.
About Asif, the tribunal said: “We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that, allowing himself to be sucked into an insidious and corrupt relationship with Mr. Majeed, Mr. Asif was a consensus agent in the no ball fix, and violated Article 2.1.1 of the Code.” After analysing Amir’s case, the tribunal concluded that he was an “active party to both the conclusion and the implementation of the Lords no ball fix, in clear breach of Article 2.1.1.”
Butt, Asif and Amir were subsequently banned for a maximum of ten, seven and five years respectively after they were proven guilty of spot-fixing during last year’s tour of England, with Butt and Asif receiving sanctions with a five-year and a two-year suspension period, respectively.
