Butt does not have enough confidence on ICC tribunal

Karachi:

The confrontation between suspended Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and the ICC has taken a serious turn after it was disclosed that the former had expressed that he does not have confidence in the ICC chief executive and the head of ICC code of conduct commission who will hear his spot-fixing allegations case next month.

After the ICC returned the reply filed by the legal team of Butt and gave him a deadline of 24 hours to submit a fresh reply or forgo his right of defence, it was revealed that in his reply to the ICC, the suspended captain demanded an independent inquiry into the allegations by a panel of former Supreme Court judges.

Geo News channel reported that in Butt's 36 pages reply that has been rejected by the ICC, the legal team had termed the provisional suspension of their client as "illegal."

The legal team also questioned that despite three months have passed since the suspension was imposed, the ICC had violated its own terms by not reaching a decision on the case.

"Butt has also expressed his no-confidence in Michael Beloff who heads the code of conduct commission and Haroon Lorgat and expressed his opinion that he expects no justice from the ICC tribunal that will hear his case in January," the channel reported.

In their letter, the legal team also noted that the ICC had dragged its feet on the case and not given a fair appeal hearing to their client.

Interestingly, the channel reported that in the letter, the legal team had given examples of past cases of match-fixing in Pakistan cricket and noted that some players despite being fined by the Justice (rtd Malik Qayyum) commission in 2000 were now holding respectable positions in world cricket and Pakistan cricket.

In the letter, the case of Waqar Younis has been mentioned as he was among the players fined and is now coach of the Pakistan team.

The letter also mentions the case of Mushtaq Ahmed who was fined and is now bowling consultant with the England team.

It also noted that former Test off-spinner Akram Reza, after being fined, is now umpiring in Pakistan's domestic cricket.

But when contacted Salman Butt said that in his reply to the ICC names of players were not mentioned.

"Look I am already under a lot of stress and pressure and I want to make it clear that no names have been mentioned in our reply," he said.

The ICC has refused to accept the reply of Butt and his legal team and asked them to submit a fresh reply which is now being prepared by noted lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan and a barrister of Indian origin in London Yasin Patel.

"They are now going to file a revised reply," Butt added.