Pakistan’s disgraced former captain Salman Butt said Tuesday he expected his country’s cricket board to help him get an early end to his ban for spot-fixing.
Butt was banned in September 2010 for a minimum of five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and jailed in Britain accepting money in return for deliberate no-balls in the 2010 Lord’s Test against England.
Fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were also banned over the incident, one of the most notorious scandals in the history of the sport.
The ICC on Monday revised its anti-corruption code, paving the way for banned players to feature in domestic matches a few months before their bans expire.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to apply for Amir to be allowed to play again but not for Butt or Asif. The bans are due to expire next August.
Butt said he expected the PCB to help him as well.
“Cricket is my bread and butter and I hope the PCB take up my appeal as well as this is the only chance I can relive my passion, that is cricket,” said Butt.
But PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said that Butt and Asif have not completed their rehabilitation, a claim Butt contests.
“I have been to the PCB offices a dozen times in the past year to know what else I have to do to complete my rehab but I am still waiting for their final reply,” said Butt.
While handing out the bans, the ICC Anti-corruption tribunal, headed by Michael Beloff, directed the players to publicly apologies for their crime, tell future players how to avoid the pitfalls and to co-operate with the ICC.