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Butt underwent a lengthy period of questioning by his lawyer Yasin Patel as well as the legal representatives of the ICC, a report on cricket website ESPNCricinfo said (www.espncricinfo.com). While Butt’s questioning took up most of the third day of the hearing, it was still uncertain if his defence against the allegations would go on today.
The other two accused players, fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, are yet to open their defence against the allegations.
While the hearing headed into its fourth day on Sunday, it remains unclear when the tribunal will be able to reach a verdict. The six-day hearing is scheduled to end on Tuesday, January 11 and the lengthy periods of questioning and defence involving the three players could stretch the possibility of an outcome to the final day.
The proceedings are being held behind closed doors and only the three-man tribunal, the accused players, both sides’ legal teams and witnesses are allowed inside the courtroom on the 12th floor of the Qatar Financial Centre in Doha.
After appearing formally dressed in suits on the first two days of the hearing, Butt and Amir donned jeans and jackets as they reached the venue on the fourth day.
Butt, Asif and Amir were suspended by the ICC last September, after British tabloid News of the World accused them of being involved in a spot-fixing plot along with player agent and bookie Mazhar Majeed.
Scotland Yard detectives raided the team hotel in London, reportedly confiscating a huge amount of money from Butt’s room.
The three-man independent hearing is being led by code of conduct commissioner and leading lawyer Michael Beloff of England, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.
If found guilty of spot-fixing, the players face bans ranging between five years and life.
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service of Britain have not completed their respective investigations or made their findings public.
