LAHORE – The International Cricket Council is not happy that a Pakistani television channel has employed banned cricketer Salman Butt as an expert for the coverage of the World Cup. The ICC said although it had no relationship with the channel, the decision to employ Butt was disappointing. “We are not satisfied with this appointment and we have written to the Tribunal chairman, Michael Beloff to enquire whether this could be viewed as a breach of the terms of his suspended sentence,” ICC CEO, Haroon Lorgat said in a statement after the executive board meeting in Dubai.
Channel Five has employed Butt, who was handed a minimum five-year ban by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal on February 5 along with teammates, Mohammed Asif and Muhammad Amir for being involved in spot-fixing on the tour to England last year. But an official of the channel said the appointment of Butt had nothing to do with his suspension.
“He is a former Pakistan captain and expert and we are just taking his expert views on the tournament,” he said. Butt, who is based in Lahore, also hoped that the ICC and Pakistan Cricket Board would not make an issue out of his employment with the channel. “It is the only way for me to have some links with cricket. And as it is, I still have the right to appeal against the ban in the international Court of Arbitration for Sports,” Butt said.
