LAHORE – Former lawyer for Pakistan’s suspended captain Salman Butt has predicted that the International Cricket Council (ICC) may hand out long-term bans to Butt, Mohammed Amir and Mohammad Asif at the hearing of the anti-corruption tribunal in Doha. “I think the writing is on the wall for these three players,” Khalid Ranjha was quoted by German radio station, Deutsche Welle. Ranjha represented Butt in the players’ appeal of suspension in late October where the chairman of the ICC code of conduct commission, Michael Beloff rejected the appeals of Butt and Amir.
“We wanted the ICC not to have Beloff heading the ICC tribunal for the full hearing which will decide on the charges against the three players,” he said. “Our argument was and still remains is how can a person (Beloff) rule against his own decision. Now at the full hearing the case has same causes,” Ranjha said. “It does not happen like this in law. That is why, I see the writing on the wall for these three players,” he added.
“I say it openly that the ICC has been biased against our players,” Ranjha said. He said the ICC’s anti-corruption unit had no evidence against the players except for the videos provided to them by the News of the World tabloid. “That is why now they are banking on Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis to turn witnesses for them at the hearing,” he added. The seasoned lawyer pointed out that while Afridi and Waqar might be great cricketers but they have raised doubts about their intentions by giving statements to the ICC three months after the players were suspended.
