The romantic in us would believe there is no spot fixing. But human greed knows no boundaries, is how Harsha Bhogle summed up the spot-fixing episode in which former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and seam bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty.
and often raised its head, only for us to turn our faces. But the way spot-fixing has come to light and the way it has been dealt, it speaks a lot about the authorities that we don’t really want a scripted game.
The jury in the spot-fixing trial has found Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif guilty, by a unanimous verdict, on the charge of ‘conspiracy to cheat’ and on the count of ‘conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments’. Salman and Asif will be sentenced in the coming week.
On a historic day for cricket, the world also learnt that Mohammad Amir, the teenage Pakistani fast bowler, had pleaded guilty to the same two charges before the trial began; he will now be given a “Newton Hearing” to decide the quantum of punishment, during which there will be no jury officially present, although they have been given permission to sit in and watch if they wish.
There were no mixed reactions in the cricket fraternity. Experts like Rameez raja and Aamir Sohail termed it as a “LESSON’” for the coming cricketers.
Mean while there is no relief for teenager as well, Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Amir was involved in a conspiracy to fix elements of the Oval Test match as well as the notorious Lord’s Test, the spot-fixing officials said.
Appearing in court alongside former team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif for the first time since he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy relating to the Lord’s Test, Amir was told by Cooke that he did not accept the basis of his plea. Amir’s guilty plea only refers to the Lord’s Test, where he bowled two huge no-balls exactly as conspirator Mazhar Majeed predicted in covertly recorded conversations with undercover journalists from the News of the World.
But at the start of a sentencing hearing scheduled for two days Mr. Justice Cooke said that he could not accept that plea having heard evidences during the trial of Butt and Asif that Amir was involved in discussions about fixing the Oval Test.
Specifically the court heard evidence of text messages and calls between Amir and Majeed and suspected fixers in Pakistan referencing the Oval Test. In one message sent to bookie following his arrest, Amir wrote to Mazhar to delete his calls which he made to his cell because ICC has taken his cellphone.
The judge also said he was troubled by Amir’s claim that he had become involved only because he had come under pressure that could have negatively impacted on his career. Amir does not say who pressurized him, but the judge made it clear he believes he was referring to Butt and Asif, a fact that could negatively impact on Butt in particular. He told the officials that he was under pressure.
The judge’s concern over the plea arises from inconsistency between the charges leveled at all three players, which cover a conspiracy in the period of both the Oval and Lord’s Test, and the plea agreed with the Crown Prosecution Service, which is restricted to Lord’s.
Swann on Salman Butt:
The way Salman Butt carried himself rubbed me up the wrong way. Aloof and arrogant are the best descriptions of him. What made my dismissal of him in the Lord’s Test all the more satisfying was that he pompously refused to leave the field despite being bowled. We knew the TV replays would confirm his fate and I really enjoyed standing in our huddle taking the Mickey out of him.
and often raised its head, only for us to turn our faces. But the way spot-fixing has come to light and the way it has been dealt, it speaks a lot about the authorities that we don’t really want a scripted game.
The jury in the spot-fixing trial has found Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif guilty, by a unanimous verdict, on the charge of ‘conspiracy to cheat’ and on the count of ‘conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments’. Salman and Asif will be sentenced in the coming week.
On a historic day for cricket, the world also learnt that Mohammad Amir, the teenage Pakistani fast bowler, had pleaded guilty to the same two charges before the trial began; he will now be given a “Newton Hearing” to decide the quantum of punishment, during which there will be no jury officially present, although they have been given permission to sit in and watch if they wish.
There were no mixed reactions in the cricket fraternity. Experts like Rameez raja and Aamir Sohail termed it as a “LESSON’” for the coming cricketers.
Mean while there is no relief for teenager as well, Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Amir was involved in a conspiracy to fix elements of the Oval Test match as well as the notorious Lord’s Test, the spot-fixing officials said.
Appearing in court alongside former team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif for the first time since he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy relating to the Lord’s Test, Amir was told by Cooke that he did not accept the basis of his plea. Amir’s guilty plea only refers to the Lord’s Test, where he bowled two huge no-balls exactly as conspirator Mazhar Majeed predicted in covertly recorded conversations with undercover journalists from the News of the World.
But at the start of a sentencing hearing scheduled for two days Mr. Justice Cooke said that he could not accept that plea having heard evidences during the trial of Butt and Asif that Amir was involved in discussions about fixing the Oval Test.
Specifically the court heard evidence of text messages and calls between Amir and Majeed and suspected fixers in Pakistan referencing the Oval Test. In one message sent to bookie following his arrest, Amir wrote to Mazhar to delete his calls which he made to his cell because ICC has taken his cellphone.
The judge also said he was troubled by Amir’s claim that he had become involved only because he had come under pressure that could have negatively impacted on his career. Amir does not say who pressurized him, but the judge made it clear he believes he was referring to Butt and Asif, a fact that could negatively impact on Butt in particular. He told the officials that he was under pressure.
The judge’s concern over the plea arises from inconsistency between the charges leveled at all three players, which cover a conspiracy in the period of both the Oval and Lord’s Test, and the plea agreed with the Crown Prosecution Service, which is restricted to Lord’s.
Swann on Salman Butt:
The way Salman Butt carried himself rubbed me up the wrong way. Aloof and arrogant are the best descriptions of him. What made my dismissal of him in the Lord’s Test all the more satisfying was that he pompously refused to leave the field despite being bowled. We knew the TV replays would confirm his fate and I really enjoyed standing in our huddle taking the Mickey out of him.
No comments:
Post a Comment