LONDON: Cricket’’s world governing body charged three Pakistan stars accused in a betting scam with anti-corruption offences and provisionally suspended them Thursday, as the trio protested their innocence. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were barred from taking part in all cricket matches with immediate effect, although they can appeal the suspension. Earlier, Pakistan’’s ambassador to Britain said after meeting the trio that they had asked to miss the rest of the team’’s tour of England because of the scandal, but said he believed their insistence that they were innocent. The ICC said it had charged the three stars with offences under its anti-corruption code and they had been provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges. “We will not tolerate corruption in cricket – simple as that,” said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat. “We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban. “The ICC will do everything possible to keep such conduct out of the game and we will stop at nothing to protect the sport’’s integrity. While we believe the problem is not widespread, we must always be vigilant. “It is important, however, that we do not pre-judge the guilt of these three players. That is for the independent tribunal alone to decide.” Earlier, Butt, Aamer and Asif met with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and Pakistan’’s ambassador to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, at the diplomat’’s London office. Speaking afterwards, Hasan said: “The three players have said that they are extremely disturbed by what has happened in the past week, especially in regard of their alleged involvement in the crime. “They mentioned that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such.
Written on September 3, 2010 | Posted in
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UN: Risks Increasing For Humanitarian Aid Workers Pakistani officials say the number of people killed in a triple bombing of a Shi'ite religious procession has risen to 33, with another 250 wounded.Th…
Written on September 2, 2010 | Posted in
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Lahore: The triple bombing of a religious procession in Pakistan adds to the strains on a government already struggling with devastating floods and shows that Islamist militants are back in business d…
Written on September 2, 2010 | Posted in
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WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday pleaded with Israelis and Palestinians not to let slip a fleeting opportunity for peace, as he launched a landmark Middle East diplomatic initiative. “This moment of opportunity may not soon come again,” Obama warned after holding separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Egypt and Jordan. “They cannot afford to let it slip away. Now is the time for leaders of courage and vision to deliver the peace that their people deserve.” Obama promised to put the “full weight” of the United States behind the effort to forge peace between Israelis and Palestinians in direct talks between the two sides that begin at the State Department on Thursday. “If both sides do not commit to these talks in earnest, then the long-standing conflict will only continue to fester and consume another generation. This we simply cannot allow. “We know there will be moments that test our resolve. We know that extremists and enemies of peace will do everything in their power to destroy this effort,” Obama said. Despite his vow to shepherd the peace talks, Obama warned however that the United States could not simply impose a solution to the decades-long conflict. “Ultimately the United States cannot impose a solution and we cannot want it more than the parties themselves,” Obama said. The US leader, who is investing substantial political and diplomatic capital in the effort, also said Israeli and Palestinian leaders had said they believed a deal could be struck within his one-year timeline. He said that the talks would aim to resolve all of the most testing “final status” issues between the two sides. “The goal is a settlement, negotiated between the parties that ends the occupation which began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with a Jewish state of Israel and its other neighbours.”
Written on September 2, 2010 | Posted in
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CAPE TOWN: ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat says he would be at “a loss of words” if the ‘’spot-fixing” allegations against three Pakistani cricketers turn out to be true but rejected criticism that the scandal has highlighted the world body’’s failure to deal with corruption in the game. Speaking at the Cape Town International Airport after a brief return to the country in the middle of a ‘’spot-fixing” scandal that has rocked world cricket, Lorgat said players have to help in preventing such cases. “We have identified corrupt individuals and advised players to stay away from them. We need cooperation from the players. They must listen to us and also have discipline,” Lorgat said late last night. “We have a lot of measures in place. These measures work by and large. There have been many approaches (to players) reported and followed up,” he said. Lorgat said it was not the job of ICC to stop betting and it can only ask the players and officials to stay away from that. “Betting activities will continue, our concern is if players and match officials are involved. Whatever happens outside the game is not our interest, but we will do anything possible to keep it out of the game,” he said. Lorgat suggested that there was no evidence to prove that the Sydney Test between Australia and Pakistan early this year, which alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed said had been rigged. “You must be wary because it was a very dysfunctional (Pakistan) team touring there, and you need evidence before you can prove allegations,” Lorgat said. Asked if life bans for cricketers guilty of fixing matches would be a suitable deterrent, Lorgat said the ICC “will adopt a zero tolerance approach to people found guilty (of spot-fixing or match-fixing)”. “The responsibility is on us to rebuild confidence in the game. We must implement additional measures if needed, but rest assured the ICC will do everything in its power to ensure that confidence is rebuilt,” he said.
Written on September 1, 2010 | Posted in
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‘Hey Srini, you heard what Bangalore’s fans are going to be chanting this year? “Our uniforms may be an ugly shade of red, but at least we ain’t saddled with Fred”‘
Written on August 31, 2010 | Posted in
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Neil Manthorp, writing for supersport.com, has had enough of one-day cricket in its current form and feels that all attempts to arrest its declining popularity have failed. There is hope, however, in the form of Richard Wood’s simple yet innovative proposal for multiple split-innings ‘5IVES’ cricket which is akin to the invention of the wheel in cricketing terms. Some of the greatest brains in the game have failed to arrest the decline in popularity of one-day cricket, both internationally and domestically. There have been flirtations and dabbling with playing conditions,…
Written on August 28, 2010 | Posted in
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If you thought that Powerplays, Free-hits and the possibility of split innings in one-dayers were the height of cricketing innovation, think again. MCC is to trial a new form of cricket known as ‘5IVES’ next month, with MCC Universities playing MCC Young Cricketers in two 50-over games of 5IVES at Radlett Cricket Club on September 6 and 7. The distinguishing feature of 5IVES is that both teams bat in multiple ‘innings splits’ – rather than the single innings split being trialed in Australia – where the not out batsmen at…
Written on August 27, 2010 | Posted in
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WSC: facing the best fast bowlers
Written on August 27, 2010 | Posted in
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Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has signed the 6'10 giant Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Irfan on the recommendation of team's bowling coach Wasim Akram.
