Spot-fixing trio dream of comebacks
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LAHORE: Pakistan's talented but tainted trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir on Wednesday vowed to return to international cricket, three years to the day after they were banned for spot-fixing.
On February 5, 2011 an anti-corruption tribunal of the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned the three players for a minimum of five years for arranging no balls to order during the Lord's Test against England in August 2010.
Butt, the captain of the Pakistan Test team at the time, finally admitted his guilt in June last year and said he wanted to move on from the disgrace.
“I try hard to forget but someone always makes me remember that tough day,” Butt told AFP.
Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended, Asif for seven with two suspended and Amir for five years, meaning all of them could return to the game in August 2015.
“I regularly play cricket as I cannot adopt any other profession and I am very, very keen to stage a comeback,” said Butt.
The ICC tribunal made rehabilitation, including anti-corruption courses, mandatory to avoid the suspended part of the players' sentence.
West Indian Marlon Samuels is the only player ever to return to international cricket after serving a two-year ban on fixing.
Butt said he wanted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to help him get permission to play first-class cricket.
“The PCB has taken up Amir's case and I have appealed to them to help me play first-class cricket, as I am very keen to resume my career,” said Butt, who played 33 Tests, 78 one-day internationals and 24 Twenty20s for Pakistan.
The ICC last year formed a committee to consider relaxing some of the sanctions of Amir's ban.
Asif has found a sideline on the silver screen and is about to star in a joint Indian-Pakistani film, but says he wants to return to the game.
“Although I am going to act in the film, my first love is cricket and I am counting the days until my ban is over,” Asif told AFP.
“Cricket will always be part of my life, it's in my blood and I will bowl once again for Pakistan.”
Meanwhile 21-year-old Amir, who was just 19 at the time of the scandal and received a great deal of sympathy, said he was looking forward to returning.
“I train a lot because I cannot think of anything else to do other than playing cricket,” he told AFP.
Before the ban, the young left-armer was seen as one of the brightest fast-bowling talents in international cricket.
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Comments (32) Closed
Feb 05, 2014 08:41pm
No to Salman Butt and Mohammd Asif.
Please place Kamran Akmal, Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik along with them. They were lucky to save but everyone knows they were equally responsible.
Mohammad Amir was very young and was misguided by Captain and other senior players of the team. he should be given chance.
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Feb 05, 2014 09:34pm
Keep dreaming. I hope your dream never ends..
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Feb 05, 2014 09:49pm
All these three players will be back in Pakistani cricket team as Mr Ashraf and Mr Sohail are there and hopefully to continue till 2015.
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Feb 05, 2014 09:59pm
People should rememvber that Pakistan wion that test against England and Aamir took six wickets. The players were trapped into committing an act which they thought was not equal to losing a test match. Their counsul lacked the expertise to defend their cases. The rule of the thumb in any English court is to speak the truth, accept the charges and apologize. The lawyers advised their clients to lie in the beginning.
The only blame can go on Salman Butt as he is educated and he was the captain of the team. Aamer being the rookie had to accept the orders of the captain, so it was a bit severe on Aamir. He [Aamir] should be pardoned.
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Feb 05, 2014 10:12pm
I hope they don't get the chance to be back in our national team. There re-surfacing would remind the world of cricket fans that Paksitan as a nation is treating cricket like a gambling table looking for winning combination than showcasing cricket as a' gentleman's' game. We need good sportsman spirit to show the world our crickeing valour than fishing for the tarnished/convicted game fixers. Integrity should be priority than totality of winning of combinations and hope the PCB goes the right way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Feb 05, 2014 10:35pm
I hope never, all three disgraced their country and worse of all Butt, the chief architect.Amir may have some hope but he may not find it easy to get a place in the team. There is no dearth of quality fast bowlers in the county.
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Feb 05, 2014 10:43pm
Amir should immediately distance himself from the other two if he wishes to return to the game.
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Feb 05, 2014 10:51pm
Salman Butt, no way. Being the captain, involved in spot-fixing, and being the last one to admit to wrong doing. No way we want to see him back in the Pakistan team.
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Feb 05, 2014 11:18pm
What a junk of an article .... It doesn't even tell when these players are eligible to stage a come back....What's in it for the readers ???
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Feb 05, 2014 11:31pm
The saga of how these three super talented cricketers were trapped in a sting operation carried out by those who have no love for Pakistan cricket is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. Now we wait to see if miraculously, a wand can be waived and all will be well again in the world of these three and that of Pakistani cricket.
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Feb 06, 2014 12:22am
they should come back in Pakistan Cricket team
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Feb 06, 2014 01:04am
No chance for them to make a come back because first of all they brought a bad name and tarnished the reputation of the entire nation of 122 million people on a global basis. Secondly, they were involved in illegal, immoral, unwarranted, unethical and uncalled for activities on and off the cricket field while wearing the color of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Thirdly, who can in the entire world provide an irrevocable guarantee that if in the same shoes in future, history will not repeat itself? Last but not the least, there is a famous saying in the great Urdu language which has also been adopted in many other languages and cultures in the world that "once a cheater, always a cheater." Therefore, in the days or even years to come, I don't see any tangible reason why these three "disgraced cricketers" who have in essence disgraced not only the gentleman's game of cricket but the entire nation at large globally should be allowed to represent their country and play test, ODI or T20 cricket?
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Feb 06, 2014 03:37am
Stay out of cricket. Nobody wants to see cheaters and liars represent Pakistan globally.
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Feb 06, 2014 04:54am
The trio contemplating a comeback ? Dream on kids. There is no harm in day dreaming.
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Feb 06, 2014 09:58am
Why? They want to "serve the country" again? It will be unfortunate if they return, especially Asif and Butt. The two lied till they were sure that lies wouldn't save them any more.
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Feb 06, 2014 10:05am
We do not need cheaters!
Kindly have mercy on this cricket crazy nation and do something else to utilise your cheating abilities
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Feb 06, 2014 01:38pm
Amir has to be faster and better technically if he really wants to come back. He should be training very hard in the gim and the working on his line and length from now on. I dont see any chance for Asif and Butt. Butt was a mediocre player where as Asif is lazy and would need a lot of Work which he surely cant do. For a come back, Asif needs to be ready on august 2015 as due to his age he won't have time to build up after that date
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Feb 06, 2014 02:08pm
if trio perform well in domestic circuit I don't see why they can not play once again for Pakistan, Pakistan still struggling to find an opener Nasir Jamshed has failed, Khurram Manzoor has technical issues, Shan Masood well we have not seen enough of him, Ahmad Shehzad performed well in recently concluded test series against SL he scores quick runs i think if Salman Butt comes back he will be best suited along side Ahmad Shahaad, Salman has a good ODI and T-twenty average if he plays again for Pakistan will strengthen opening flaw,
As for as bowling is concern Amir and Asif can easily stormed into test side along with Irfan and Junaid it will also strengthen batting Amer is good low order batsman too, Asif over 100 test wickets, Amer and junaid over 50 test wickets can go long way to become legends.
I wish the trio very best of luck in the future and would love to see them playing again for Pakistan.
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Feb 06, 2014 04:25pm
Salman Butt talented .... please look at the records before making such assessments. Test 33, Avg 30.46, Strike rate 47.2. Even Shahid Afridi (who never thought himself as a test player) has much better record in tests than Salman Butt.
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Feb 06, 2014 06:28pm
N0 WAY!!!
Let's show the world what Pakistan is really about. No more cheats!
It hurts to say this because I love Amir, but it's time to move on and to teach our youth that there are no shortcuts in life.
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Feb 06, 2014 06:30pm
Same rules should be applied to all of them after they complete their punishment. Merit should be the only criteria with preference given to one who is never involved in any wrong doing if their is a tie b/w any of these convicted ones and someone else.
It is naive to think that Aamir did it only b/c of bad influence evidence is very strong that he was very enthausiastic participant in this whole thing and had his personal contacts as well.
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Feb 06, 2014 06:36pm
Amir 'might' find a way back but seriously ?!? are the other two still dreaming of playing again on international level ?
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Feb 06, 2014 07:16pm
No please, don't want to see them back... not even Aamir. Pakistan team have moved on and are still competitive at all levels.
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Feb 06, 2014 07:38pm
Butt pleaded he was innocent for so long, time after time he would go in the media and say he was innocent, he does not miss playing for Pakistan he misses the paycheck and the razzmatazz that goes with it.. he is not fit or Asif for that matter to wear a Pakistani kit...i would not hire them to look after sheep..As for Amir he was young and naive, but the other two should have known better....they should have got life bans!
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Feb 06, 2014 07:43pm
Butt is a disgrace not only to our nation but to the world cricket. He needs no sympathy at all and should "NEVER" be allowed playing any form of cricket in future (period)
I do, however, think Amir; being naive and vulnerable at that time (only 19) should return to cricket.
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Feb 06, 2014 08:07pm
I wish hope and pray Mohammad Aamir not only comes back but comes back even greater than he was when he left. I also hope and pray that I NEVER have to see Mohammad Asif's and Salman Butt's faces again.
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Feb 06, 2014 08:48pm
No respite for Butt.
He was the captain of Pak side.
Amir could be considered because of his Age and pressure he might have been under.
Besides that nothing more.
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Feb 07, 2014 12:58am
In your dreams!!!
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Feb 07, 2014 02:17am
If politicians can get chance to rule for the 3rd term why not these three.
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Feb 07, 2014 07:30am
Dreams dont always come true. If these three were in China, they would have been executed by now
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Feb 07, 2014 08:18am
I am sure they will make a comeback and will be welcomed. When Sharifs, Bhuttos and Zardaris can make a comeback and hailed, then what wrong these three have done?
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Feb 07, 2014 12:01pm
We must not forget that these sportsmen brought such a massive defame not only to cricket but to our beloved country Pakistan. I don't think they are justified to be pardoned. They should complete there punishment period and if found good enough to come back after demonstration in first class their performance then it would make sense. Pakistan Masha Allah have sufficient talent in cricket and give chance to youngster so I don't think we should be bothered and be kind enough to pass soft comments or show sympathy to such culprits
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