Pakistan appeals Aamer’s ban

Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt has officially requested a review over fast-rising paceman Mohammad Aamer's five-year ban on charges of corruption, he said.

 

Karachi, February 13, 2011

 
Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt has officially requested a review over fast-rising paceman Mohammad Aamer’s five-year ban on charges of corruption.

 

Butt revealed the request to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in a television interview aired on Geo Super late Friday.

 

“As the Anti-corruption tribunal has asked for a review on the code of conduct, we too have requested the ICC to have a review on the five-year ban on Aamer,” Butt said.

 

Aamer, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were banned on charges of corruption during the Lord’s Test against England last year.

 

Salman was banned for 10 years, with five years suspended, and Asif for seven years, including a two-year suspended ban.

 

The anti-corruption tribunal, headed by Michael Beloff, while announcing the verdict last week also requested the ICC to review the minimum sanction in their code of conduct, which is five years, in special cases.

 

It was widely speculated that Aamer, aged only 18 and having never violated the ICC code of conduct in his two-year international career, would get a two or one-year ban, but the tribunal had to impose five years, the minimum for this type of breach.

 

Butt admitted the chances of the ban being reviewed or reduced were remote.

 

“There is one out of million chance as the final decision would rest with the ICC,” said Butt.

 

Butt hoped the request for a review would be discussed at ICC’s next board meeting later this year.

 

© AFP

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