PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The PCB had sought clarification from the ICC about allowing Asif and Butt to return to both domestic and international cricket once their five-year bans end on September 1.
Amir’s case was treated specially by the PCB and ICC as he was allowed to play domestic cricket before his ban ended in order to allow him to make an international comeback as early as possible.
The trio were involved in spot-fixing in the August 2010 Lord’s Test against England. A British newspaper, News of the World, broke the story and the aforementioned players were later found to have taken bribes from a bookmaker, Mazhar Majeed, to bowl no-balls.
The British police arrested the bookmaker and the players for their involvement. The ICC also banned the three players; Amir for five years, Asif for seven years with two years suspended and Salman for 10 years with five years suspended.
“The ICC has clarified that the players have completed their rehabilitation process as per their procedure and the players do not have any more commitments,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune. “The PCB has been told that now it is up to us to complete the remaining rehabilitation process. There were five requirements which these players had to fulfill — show remorse, narrate the real incident, complete an official anti-corruption education session, cooperate with authorities to curb fixing and deliver lectures to young cricketers.”
The board will now be helping Asif and Butt deliver lectures against corruption in cricket for the completion of their rehabilitation.
The official added that the PCB is preparing a road map for the reintegration of these players, stating that the focus will be to help them return to domestic cricket as it would be more difficult for Asif and Butt to return to the international fold as compared to Amir.
“It wouldn’t be as straightforward for Asif and Butt so we need to be careful about how we go ahead with their integration,” he said. “We would have to start from a low level and then slowly build up trust.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2015.
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