Butt and Amir on TV as pundits during World T20

E-Paper | March 11, 2026

ARY is running promos of Butt with the tagline "Stopped from playing, but not from speaking". -Photo by AFP

KARACHI: Shamed Pakistan cricket stars Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir, both serving long bans for spot-fixing, have turned television pundits for the World Twenty20 tournament which starts Tuesday.

Both have been banned from cricket for at least five years by the sport's governing body for their role in arranging deliberate no-balls to order during the 2010 Lord's Test against England.

Butt, captain in the infamous Lord's Test, appeared on the ARY news channel during Pakistan's five wicket win over arch-rivals India in a warm-up match in Colombo on Monday, while Amir made an appearance on Express News the same day.

Butt controversially did a stint as pundit for Pakistan's Channel Five during last year's 50-over World Cup, but this is the first time 20-year-old Amir has appeared as an expert.

The channels said both players will give expert comments throughout the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, and ARY ran promos with Butt with the tagline:

“Stopped from playing, but not from speaking.”

In addition to their bans from the International Cricket Council (ICC) Butt, Amir and Mohammad Asif were jailed by an English court for contriving to bowl no-balls with their agent Mazhar Majeed during the Lord's Test.

The ICC last year reacted sharply to Butt's television role.

“The ICC Board, having a zero tolerance attitude towards corruption, expressed disappointment at the decision by a Pakistan television channel, which has no relationship with the ICC, to employ the suspended Mr Salman Butt as a studio pundit during the World Cup,” then-ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat had said.

The ICC have not yet reacted to the new TV roles.

Express News channel said they had received mixed reactions from the fans, with some criticising the banned players' appearance but some appreciating their new roles.

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Zain M

Sep 19, 2012 03:37am

What a shame on the TV Station. Is this the message you are conveying to our young people, crime pays !

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Syed

Sep 18, 2012 10:37pm

Yeah pundits on how to fix t20 now ... btw, what experience they have for being regarded as "pubdits'? ARY and GEO, both have lost their bearings sorry to say.

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ali

Sep 18, 2012 04:13pm

It would have been better had these guys who have shamed the country and the game should be banned from speaking on TV about cricket, as well but as they were not banned from speaking about cricket then nobody can blame Express or ARY for hiring them as they are not breaking any law and ICC has no influence on these channels.

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Razzaq

Sep 18, 2012 07:34pm

I don't think any thing wrong in giving comments according to their experience in their field. If hate mongers religious and politicians can express on TV why not these two?

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Malik

Sep 18, 2012 04:12pm

Both of them r still at embronic stage to give any sort of comments on any form of cricket.

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Sep 18, 2012 07:42pm

Why would you want to hear from an inexperienced youngster and an ex captain with limited tactical acumen? More importantly its a slap on the nations and every cricket fans face. To be honest you cant expect much more from Express or their owners. I shall vote with my eyeball and not watch any express channel for 10 years.

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Salman-MD

Sep 18, 2012 07:45pm

Are you kidding me ARY... Seriously now we have to watch these culprits... This can only happen in Pakistan... Pakistan Zindabad!!!!

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Rattan(Sydney)

Sep 18, 2012 08:43pm

when you put formerly corrupt and jailed players as pundits for T20 - WHAT DO YOU THINK THE WORLD WILL THINK OF YOU AS A NATION(apart from what they already think of Pakistan)

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Zahid

Sep 19, 2012 09:42am

The enrollment of the stinted players as pundits for the twenty20 matches by the ARY and Express channels is an attempt to project spot fixers as role models for the younger generation. The media has simply become unbridled and would do anything to win over cheap popularity. These guys have brought shame to nation, have lost credibility, and cannot be trusted make honest and unbiased comments.

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Balwanjee

Sep 18, 2012 04:42pm

Yes, it is strange, why the disgraced cricketers are given importance and who are the peoples behind them. The dishonest player are not liable to play new roles.

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Akeel R

Sep 18, 2012 03:08pm

Only in Pakistan.. :)

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ahmad butt

Sep 19, 2012 07:39am

They show corrupt and jailed politicians anyway so what the difference anyways. Pakistan should be used to such antics, i think its kind of too late to talk about cleaning corruption.

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Jawwad

Sep 18, 2012 06:26pm

What a disgusting and shameful act by ARY to hire Butt. Don't these have any morality or have they ever heard of the thing called ethics? In any other country, these individuals would have been rotting in jail.

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Zuhaib

Sep 18, 2012 06:16pm

hey salman butt, neither you have apologized to the fans nor proved your innocence like you have always claimed... so you are yet contender for pakistan politics i believe...what a shame and disgrace to the nation...!!!!

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Zishi

Sep 19, 2012 10:00am

They should not be allowed on television as a pundit. They should not be portrayed as role models. These are corrupt cricketers and they were jailed by English courts. These channels have no moral.

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IbDi

Sep 19, 2012 09:38am

disgraceful way of catching audience. Shame on ARY & I hope people resist their coverage

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Jamshed

Sep 19, 2012 01:31am

People should protest against this.Disgraceful acts against the country should never be rewarded like this. Where is the outrage,people.

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shabat

Sep 19, 2012 02:54am

We blame others for our wrong doing but when we do somthing wrong than who to blame? how come media is bringing these crimnal who put bad them to Pakistan. That tell us who we are and why we having so many problems that other nation don't. PAKISTAN IS A FAILED MUSLIM STATE PERIOD!

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Vinay

Sep 19, 2012 04:01am

pakistaniyat ko kya ho gaya hai...??

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kirther

Sep 18, 2012 03:41pm

Like others they are being appreciated for letting down their country. They were punished by British System what about Pakistani system actually they should be treated more severely in Pakistan for bringing bad name to Pakistan.

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Syed Azizur Rahman

Sep 18, 2012 05:47pm

It is disgusting for a major tv network to engage these shady characters even as member of a panels to discuss cricket what to give them a role to comment on the game as experts it really is shameful I urge ARY to review its decision and sack both of them

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Waqas

Sep 18, 2012 05:36pm

Pathetic and poor judgement shown by the channel: Totally Irresponsible, displaying lack of any moral responsibility towards the society and people of Pakistan. They are convicted fraudsters, please do not make heroes/victim out of them.

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Nasir vohra

Sep 18, 2012 04:43pm

Pakistan mein koi jurm nahi karta...sab shareeef hai..mulk mein doodh ke nadya beh rahee hai ..cricketers sab say honest log hai....Alas..pity nation

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Azher

Sep 18, 2012 04:14pm

These channels should be ashamed of themselves! for this reason alone I for one will not watch them and I hope everyone else either.

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Raza

Sep 19, 2012 10:15am

What a sorry state of affairs! Our country and nation is going down the drain. I feel ashamed as I am the one to be blamed too - I have done nothing, as a citizen, to address these shortcomings. Unless we as a nation stand up, this mockery will continue. And I am not merely referring to cricketing affairs here, everything needs a fresh look.

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kirther

Sep 18, 2012 03:50pm

There are better people to give comments on television,why Butt and Amir. People found guilty must not be given any position of public importance, but it appears that in Pakistan people can commit most serious crime and get away with it. This is very shameful.

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Peter Bernard

Sep 19, 2012 04:37pm

well politicians are not banned by any Internatinational Court or body

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Dr Satpal Jabbal

Sep 19, 2012 11:54am

They may get a lot of money BUT they will be remembered for what they did.

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Sep 19, 2012 11:53am

Such a shameful act by ARY and our denigrated media. What are they trying to pose show to the world and Pakistanis that we are corrupt country and moreover promote corruption. We should all strive to boycott such shameful act.

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sam

Sep 19, 2012 11:49am

Well said ahmad butt, if the politicians of the country can come on tv why not the 2!

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Paki

Sep 19, 2012 03:44pm

I agree

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Zahid

Sep 19, 2012 08:27am

The enrollment of the stinted players as pundits for the twenty20 matches by the ARY and Express channels is an attempt to project spot fixers as role models for the younger generation. The media has simply become unbridled and would do anything to win over cheap popularity. These guys has brought shame to nation, have lost credibility, and cannot be trusted make honest and unbiased comments.

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Yousuf

Sep 19, 2012 07:41am

Ethics bhi koi cheez hoti hai bhai.

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Zaheer

Sep 19, 2012 06:39am

Responsible journalism,or advertising $$?.what kind of message is being sent to the youth of Pakistan and to the rest of the Cricket world?.And then we complain that the world does not treat us well.Butt & Amir, Cricket experts, give me a break- given our long and glorious Cricket history, I am sure there are many ex.cricketers with knowledge and integrity who will do a much better job

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Abaid

Sep 19, 2012 06:36am

Well said Iqbal!!!

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Iqbal

Sep 19, 2012 06:18am

Amir is an expert? Perhaps these 3 should give their expert advice on how to get caught and be jailed.

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Ali

Sep 19, 2012 05:49am

"but this is the first time 20-year-old Amir has appeared as an expert" Does he know the spelling of Cricket.

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tariq

Sep 19, 2012 04:55am

very Good ... they have played wonderfully for pakistan , ... its good effort .. we should also appreciatte their laurels .. all the time criticism is giving us head aches .

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mosa

Sep 19, 2012 04:43am

hahahha... are u kidding me?

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malik

Sep 19, 2012 04:34am

Your article starts by labeling them 'shamed cricketers' but it does not sound like they are ashamed at all.

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Aahmed

Sep 19, 2012 04:23am

Great job PAKTV channels. Time to pick up convicted criminals from our jails too. I don't think it would much difference to quality of commentary of cricket.

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