Published: Apr 19, 2016, 06:00 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 19, 2016, 06:00 PM (IST)
Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who was keen on having former captain Salman Butt back for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of England could face a setback as he could be denied visa from the UK Home Office. Butt was involved in the infamous spot-fixing controversy at Lord’s in 2010, which saw him go to jail for 30 months. Players like Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif too were involved in this controversy. However, Aamer made a comeback to the international stage and also played in the recently concluded T20 World Cup for Pakistan. Asif and Butt on the other hand have been playing in domestic matches. READ: Misbah-ul-Haq says he had good understanding with Waqar Younis
In a section relating to refusing visas, the UK Home Office website states: “If a person has been sentenced to a period of between 12 months and less than 4 years imprisonment, the ECO [Entry Clearance Officer] must refuse the application until 10 years has passed since the end of the sentence.
“The end of the sentence should be taken to mean the entire sentence imposed, not just the time a person spent in prison,” according to espncricinfo.con
Butt will play in the Pakistan Cup, which is a new tournament. Butt will play for the Punjab team, which will be led by Shoaib Malik. Misbah believes that the tournament will be a good platform for Butt to push for a place in the Pakistan team. READ: Pakistan do not have a suitable replacement for Misbah-ul-Haq as captain: Aamir Sohail
“We have a settled line up between Nos 3 and 7 but the opening slot is not as consistent as the rest of the order. There are issues and we are looking at a couple more options including Shan Masood and Salman Butt,” said Misbah.
“Salman is playing well and overall I didn’t see any such difference since he left [in 2010]. He is a good prospect and he has also scored ample runs after his comeback. Watching him in the nets he looks good, but now we have to see how well he will do in the upcoming tournament,” he added. READ: Shahid Afridi not in favor of Salman Butt’s comeback in Pakistan squad
Inzamam-ul-Haq was recently appointed the Chief Selector of Pakistan. Picking Pakistan squad for the Test series against England will be his first major task.
