ICC Suspends Trio

Entertainment Cricket and Other Sports
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Fruits of VVIP Culture!

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When the Government steps into the ring like this to defend the players, any potential ruling against the players would also reflect poorly on the Govt and Pakistan in general.

The High Commissioner should have been more discreet in choosing his words.

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^ The high commissioner has not business speaking on the matter at all.

Any self-respecting HC would have resigned anyways after the swiss banks documents scandal.

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On top of coming out with silly statement about the players being 'setup'
i also wonder what kind of investigation he is doing... taking oath on Quran?

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Wajid #$%^& came out because your Ijaz $%^&* can't handle this situation. (excuse my language).

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ICC has charged them and today the police is going to interview them. Expect some more mud slinging on Pakistan today due to these idiots.

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Lagta hai Wajid Sb has been specially assigned by the President of Pakistan to make sure not to leave any drop of respectability for Pakistan.

Pakistan envoy slams ICC’s suspensions

Pakistan’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, has said that the ICC was “playing to the public gallery” when it provisionally suspended Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir, the three players linked to the spot-fixing scandal, on charges of irregular behaviour under the ICC’s Anti Corruption Code.

The day after the suspension was announced, Hasan said the ICC had made a “mistake” and that it had “no business taking this action.” He told the BBC that cricket’s governing body had, “made an assurance to us when it said it would wait until Scotland Yard’s investigations were over.”…

…The PCB chairman Ijaz Butt has so far not issued a statement following the suspensions despite numerous attempts to contact him…

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ijaz Butt is nowhere to be seen while Shamsul hasan is making a fool of himself. while driving to work this morning I was listening to news and they were interviewing Shamsul on the radio. he made na absolute fool of himself. He started by saying that the guys were innocent. The presenter asked him why he was sure thatthey were innocent. Shamsul said because he and his team had interviewed them for over two hours and wereconvinced that they were 100% innocent. The presenter than said that as you are 100% convinced about their innocence would you resign if the police found them guilty. His reply "why should I resign, I am just a diplomat". The presenter "your replies are hardly diplomatic". he than went on to say that ICC president Haroon Logat was with him yesterday and happy at his actions and than he received a call from pawar and later on suspended the players. He was trying to bring in the Indian angle. With friends like these who needs enemies.

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‘ICC decision to suspend players is unhelpful and premature’

Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan has termed the decision of International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend three Pakistani cricketers with various offences under ICC anti-corruption code as unhelpful and premature.

Reacting to the issue of notices by the game’s governing body to Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir, the High Commissioner expressed his surprise and said the notices have been issued without launch of an inquiry and the charge sheet is based solely on newspaper reports.

“There is a live police inquiry which takes precedence over both the ICC, civil or regulatory investigation and indeed any internal disciplinary investigation. To take action now is unhelpful, premature and unnecessary considering the players had already voluntarily withdrawn from playing which was announced this morning in the presence of entire British media. This announcement was further publicly welcomed by the ECB.”

Hasan further said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat visited him at the High Commission on Thursday evening to say that he intended to issue the notices for explanation.

“He did not say that the players would be suspended. In fact, he was of the opinion that undue pressure should not be put on the team.”

Earlier, the ICC charged three Pakistan players with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel relating to alleged irregular behaviour during, and in relation to, the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s last month.

The three players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, have been officially notified of the offences they are alleged to have committed and have been provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges.

In accordance with the provisions of the code, this means they are immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded.

The statement said the players have a right to contest this provisional suspension and a further opportunity to defend these charges at a full hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal in accordance with Article 5 of the code.

The players have 14 days from their receipt of the charge sheet to indicate their desire for a hearing. Any player ultimately found to be guilty of committing an offence under the code would be subject to the sanctions described in Article 6 of the code.

In this case, the alleged offences, if proved, would involve the imposition of a ban. There is also a possibility, at the discretion of the independent tribunal, that a fine would be imposed in addition to a ban.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said “We will not tolerate corruption in cricket, simple as that. We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban. The ICC will do everything possible to keep such conduct out of the game and we will stop at nothing to protect the sport’s integrity. While we believe the problem is not widespread, we must always be vigilant. It is important, however, that we do not pre-judge the guilt of these three players. That is for the independent tribunal alone to decide.”

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**Players have case to answer - ICC **

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Where is Butt sahab's Butt during this crunch time? Can someone please explain to me why Wajid Hasan ( High Commissioner) has become spokesman of PCB? What does a diplomat has to do with ICC? I can understand diplomats providing legal help against Police/Scotland-yard investigation but why is high-commissioner getting involved in war of words with ICC?

Butt sahab again brought shame to our cricket. Had he done the sensible thing in the first place, i.e Announced that these 3 players will not be selected unless their name get cleared, ICC would not have suspended the trio. In fact Butt sahab was keep on f****ing that players are available for selection. I mean WTH...keeep your mouth SHUT!

Now if players are found guilty, it will also bring shame to our Govt/Diplomats in addition to Cricket. If this is all you need to be to be a top diplomat in any country, I am available to be Pakistan's ambassador for USA. Someone please let Foreign Office know.

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^ You are too decent for the job. Sorry.

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**Just heard on BBC that even though the full details of ICC charges against these three are not known yet but the penalties range from a minimum of 5 years to life ban.

If so that will be the end of at least Asif and Salman.
**

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Had sufficient evidence to charge players - Lorgat

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/111900/111993.2.jpg

Is this the biggest scandal cricket has faced since the Hansie Cronje revelations?

In terms of corruption, yes. Corruption is a dangerous thing, any form of it.

What specifically led you to suspend the players?

As we said, we were busy working and formulating our understanding of all of the issues that had transpired, all the allegations that had been made, and connecting all the dots. We needed to be pretty certain that we could formulate a charge before we could provisionally suspend the players. We were putting all the facts together while we were assessing our position.

**What did you try to impress upon the PCB? **

Earlier in the week, [we urged them] to do the right thing, which was to not select the players because there were just too many allegations, too much speculation and the public would not have confidence in the players. They [the players] needed the opportunity to clear themselves, so we were throughout the course of the week trying to impress upon them to do the right thing and not involve them in the remainder of the tour, for their own sake. And then on Wednesday night, Mr [Ijaz] Butt was quoted as saying that they were available to play. We realised that if that was indeed the case, we needed to move quicker. We worked quite hard to complete what we needed to do. We were surprised the next morning when they announced the non-selection, but by then we had progressed to a point completing our work.

Ijaz Butt kept reiterating that the players would not be suspended pending inquiries. What caused the change of mind in the space of 12 hours?

Again, when we met with him, we impressed upon him the need to protect the players on one hand, and to protect the integrity of the game on the other hand. The right thing would be to not avail those players for selection.

What was the ECB’s stance throughout all of this?

The ECB were of a similar mindset, that they should not be involved in the series. I’m sure their concerns would have revolved around the public support [for the limited-over series] which would have been their primary concern. I am not sure if their commercial partners were impressing anything upon them.

Were the ICC concerned that sponsors would have pulled out if you had allowed the players to continue being in the series?

I would always do what is the right thing. We would not take any actions if we did not have sufficient claims, we would have to manage commercial partners. On the other hand, the right thing to do is to charge the players because we have got sufficient evidence. So I would always try and do the right thing.

**They are still allegations at present, but if proven guilty, what is the ICC thinking in way of possible sanctions? **

I would not like to pre-determine their guilt nor pre-determine what sanctions are appropriate. We would not tolerate any kind of corruption in this sport.

Who will the independent panel comprise of?

My understanding is we have got a panel of commissioners and there would be a selection from there. The chairman of the Code of Conduct commissioners is Michael Beloff QC. The players have 14 days to consider the charges and respond. It is after that we would move into the remit of determining. The players might decide to confess - who knows what, there is a criminal investigation today. That may or may not have a bearing so it is premature to determine whether there is guilt or not, what sort of sanction is appropriate or not. It is too early.

You said you wanted to do the right thing. If the crime is severe would you not rule out a life ban?

I would not rule out any sort of punishment. It is dependent on what the findings are.

 **What are the long-term plans?**

We must separate individual players, their misdemeanour or not. We must separate them from the Pakistan team and Pakistan board. If individuals have transgressed in any way, we deal with individuals. As far as Pakistan, and the system in Pakistan is concerned, nothing has changed in our view that they shouldn’t continue to play international cricket.

Although the ACSU has done well to curb the malaise of match-fixing in the decade after Hansie Cronje confessed his crime, corruption is once again on the resurgence. Are you concerned?

Not long after I got into the ICC, we reminded all of the members, all of the players that we simply cannot get complacent. With the advent of Twenty20 we have raised that awareness. We don’t feel what some people are suggesting because we know that we will have to remain vigilant. All those reports about players about approaches (from bookies) that is through the education process, through the awareness that we create. Those players were not disclosing those approaches. So in my view it was somewhat unfair criticism of the ACSU. In fact if you listen to some credible , independent people, they acknowledge what the ICC is doing in fighting corruption in cricket. Sports Illustrated said the other day that baseball should have something like the ACSU on board.

Given that the ACSU is largely deployed under the ICC banner, what about cricket like the IPL and the proliferation of T20 events? Paul Condon said Twenty20 is the biggest challenge to the integrity of the game, should the ICC re-think its decision to deploy the ACSU only when asked for?

Do you mean being involved or deploying the ACSU in IPL? I would say we have the responsibility to assist members in so far as ensuring that corruption is not ongoing in their leagues. Because if starts at the domestic level, it will permeate the entire game.

What is the ICC’s view on the PCB? Given the track record in match-fixing allegations, surely, the ICC needs to be more stringent and possibly slap some punitive action against them?

You cannot work on the basis of allegations and perceptions. We got to be factual about it. Unless there is hard evidence we cannot proceed. Don’t forget the governance structure we have got: Pakistan Cricket Board, like every other member board, is autonomous. They have got the responsibility to look after their affairs. Unless they request our assistance in a direct fashion to get involved we cannot go there and do what you are suggesting.

With the ICC’s wide reach and expertise don’t you think you can help the PCB bolster its structure to make players, particularly those from outside usually traditional backgrounds, aware of potential dangers in the game?

We will be very willing to assist any member. But as I said earlier we can offer but it must be accepted. We cannot demand.

Given the Majeed case, shouldn’t there be a process through which legitimate player agents are authorised and bonafides established?

Yes. I understand in England for example the players’ association accredits agents. We always would look to see where we can improve the protocols. And if it is becoming apparent that agents are a challenge to deal with, we might have to find some accreditation system that we might need to put in place.

http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/475673.html

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Since the ICC is claiming they have sufficient evidence against the players none of them will take part in the next world cup in 2011

My gut feeling:

Both Asif and Butt will be banned for 5 years each
Aamer will be banned for 3 years

Loss to Pakistan:
Salman Butt: not really indispensable in any format IMO
Mohammad Asif: will be missed only in tests.
Mohammad Aamer: will be sorely missed in all three formats

The biggest loss will be Aamer.... it is time to learn something from this sorry episode and move on..

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Biggest loss to Pakistan is the however little credibility we were left with.

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I will definitely miss Salman Butt's press conferences.

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I dont think they have much of an evidence. Harron Lorgat himself said there are things that players have to answer. They have also said since last saturday till today there isnt anything new they have learned.

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+1

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Wait for this Sunday's NOTW..