Disgraced former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Salman Butt on Friday publically confessed to spot fixing after years of insisting that the national embarrassment was a conspiracy to malign Pakistani cricketers.
Desperate to play cricket again, Butt apologised to the nation for participating in spot-fixing to earn a quick buck.
Addressing a press conference, Butt solemnly said, “I apologise to the people of the country, my fans and every cricket-lover across the world for what I did.”
However, along with the apology, Butt also made an appeal to the new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi.
“I ask PCB Chairman Najam Sethi to allow me to play cricket again,” he said. “Only two years of the ban are left. At least allow me to play domestic cricket, if not international games.”
Butt had received a 10-year ban, five years of which were suspended following a probe of the deliberate bowling of no balls in a test match in London in 2010. The International Cricket Council (ICC) slapped the ban on the opening batsman on February 5, 2011.
The cricketer was found guilty by both the game’s governing body and a British court.
He was also convicted and jailed for 30 months in the UK on conspiracy charges relating to spot-fixing along with Pakistani pace-bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif.
Appearing to have been tamed by the harsh penalties, Butt also appealed to the youth of the country to not participate in illegal and immoral acts.
Butt added that he had informed the PCB about his availability and willingness to undertake the rehabilitation programme.