DOHA: Decision of the fates of three Pakistani cricketers accused of spot fixing, during the test series against England last year, will now be verdict on February 5, said ICC officials.
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption unit wants more time to consider verdict on former skipper Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.
The three-man tribunal including Michael Beloff QC, Justice Albie Sachs and Sharad Rao have heard six days of evidence since Thursday. Baloff said the trio will remain suspend till final verdict.
The suspended cricketers have been facing spot-fixing scandal since August 2010.
The trio was all charged with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. They all deny any wrong-doing, but have been provisionally suspended since the allegations came to light in the days following the Test. At the hearing, the players faced cross-examination as they sought to defend themselves on the charges. Asif was the last of the three to give evidence in his defence on Monday before closing arguments.
The backbone of the evidence against the trio is a 54-page document detailing the News Of The World’s investigation. In the NOTW document it is understood there are details of numerous phone calls and texts involving the players and investigative journalist Mazher Mahmood.
Meanwhile, former Pakistani stars criticized the ICC decision and termed it a conspiracy against Pakistani players and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Former leg spinner, Abdul Qadir, said that there is a very powerful lobby in ICC who want to destabilize PCB. He said the committee should review its decision immediately because six days are more enough to achieve any decision.
He said due the delay in decision can affect performance of others players in up coming cricket world cup. It is a total discrimination with Pakistani players, he said.
Basit Ali, former batsman, said it seems that ICC has merged in Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and waiting for approval or rejection from BCCI.
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