Pakistan cricket 'spot-fixing' trio face tribunal

A make-or-break anti-corruption tribunal against Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer opens in Doha Thursday, with the players facing lengthy bans if found guilty. The hearing will be held behind closed doors at the Qatar Financial Centre from 0630 GMT and is scheduled to run until January 11, although lawyers have indicated a verdict may come earlier.

The three face charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year in a scandal that rocked the sport. It is alleged that they conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls -- claims they all deny. They were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September, with the world governing body's code of conduct carrying a minimum five-year ban if corruption charges are proved.

The maximum punishment is life out of the game. The scandal came to light when Britain's News of the World claimed that seven Pakistani players, including Butt, Aamer and Asif, took money from bookie Mazhar Majeed to obey orders at specific stages in the Lord's Test in August.

Scotland Yard detectives raided the team hotel in London, reportedly confiscating a huge amount of money from Salman's room.

The three-man independent hearing is being led by code of conduct commissioner and leading lawyer Michael Beloff of England, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.

It is set to open with a statement from the prosecution followed by a response from representatives of the three players.

All three have serious legal heavyweights going in to bat for them with paceman Asif, 28, represented by Allan Cameron, brother of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Former Test captain and opening batsman Salman, 26, is represented by British-based lawyer Yasin Patel, while 18-year-old fast bowler Aamer's legal team is headed by Shahid Karim from Pakistan.

British newspapers said Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi and head coach Waqar Younis have been summoned as prosecution witnesses.

While the ICC has made clear it will not be commenting until a verdict is reached, chief executive Haroon Lorgat told the BBC recently he was confident of the case against the players.

"We need to send out a strong message and that is part of what we want to achieve," Lorgat said. "We've worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand."

The Pakistan team are currently touring New Zealand, but speaking ahead of the hearing, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters that corruption was a curse that must be stamped out.

"It has to be an all-out effort from all concerned to ensure that such wrongdoing does not occur in the future and we at the PCB are doing all we can to curtail all such practices," he said.

"The PCB and ICC have taken a lot of steps, future plans have been drafted to pursue a policy of zero tolerance to corruption."The scandal is seen as the worst in cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje.

A decade ago the former South Africa captain, who died in a mysterious plane crash in 2002, was revealed to have accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his team-mates.

Cricket spot-fixing accused desperate to play again

Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer on Wednesday voiced confidence they would again play for their country ahead of a make-or-break anti-corruption tribunal in Doha. The pair, along with Mohammad Asif, face the hearing Thursday on charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year in a scandal that rocked the sport.

It is alleged that they conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls -- claims they all deny. Butt, the Pakistan captain, told AFP he was desperate to play top-level cricket again and said the scandal had taught him some harsh lessons.

"I have always played the game for the love of it and have never been involved in any wrongdoing," he said. "I am confident that I will soon be playing for my country. I have been practising all through this difficult phase of my life so that whenever I am cleared I am able to play.

"This phase has taught me a lot of lessons and I hope I will learn from them."

All three were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in October, with the world governing body's code of conduct carrying a minimum five-year ban if corruption charges are proved.

The maximum punishment is life out of the game. Their suspension came after reports in the British newspaper News of the World, which claimed several Pakistani players -- including the trio -- obeyed orders from an alleged bookmaker during the Lord's Test in August.

The newspaper said it paid Mazhar Majeed, an agent for several Pakistan players, 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars) in return for advance knowledge of pre-arranged no-balls which could then be bet upon.

Butt and pace bowlers Aamer and Asif were named by the newspaper as the players involved. Police raided the team's hotel in London and questioned the three men, along with bowler Wahab Riaz, but they have yet to level any charges.

The three-man independent hearing starts on Thursday and is scheduled to conclude on January 11, led by code of conduct commissioner, and leading lawyer, Michael Beloff, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.

Aamer said he was hopeful of a positive outcome. "This is the toughest phase of my life," he said. "My elders tell me that such phases come in the life of a professional, so I am bravely facing this situation and will hopefully come out of it to play for Pakistan.

"I have been watching matches and felt disappointed at not being part of the team, but I hope it's a temporary phase and I will soon be playing for my country."His lawyer Shahid Karim said the incident had hurt the player emotionally.

"One of the mitigating factors is age and the other mitigating factor is Aamer's previously unblemished record," he told AFP.

"Emotionally he is drained, he's been affected badly by it, but he's coping as best he can and above all he is very confident that he will come out of this clean."

The hearing should be taking place in Dubai, where the ICC is headquartered, but was shifted to Doha as Asif is barred from entering the United Arab Emirates after being deported in 2008 on possession of banned drugs.

He was not immediately available for comment ahead of the hearing. The scandal is seen as the worst in cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje.

A decade ago the former South Africa captain, who died in a mysterious plane crash in 2002, was revealed to have accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his team-mates.

Afridi not assured to lead Pakistan in World Cup

Pakistan ODI and T-20 skipper Shahid Afridi is currently not assured of leading Pakistan in the forthcoming World Cup as his performance has not impressed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) members.

“Afridi’s recent performances as captain have not impressed too many Board members and one of the biggest issues that are irking them is his public criticism of his team mates. Results have not been great, but the public criticism of team mates is not going down too well with the decision makers,” sources close to PCB told Pak Passion.

The source confirmed that Afridi’s performance as captain in the upcoming six one day matches in New Zealand will determine whether he is appointed captain for the World Cup.

“The Board will look at Afridi’s personal performance and also how well he leads the team, as well as how he conducts himself, before deciding on whether he (Afridi) will lead the team in the World Cup.

I would be very surprised if the Board makes a decision regarding Afridi, before the six match series in New Zealand.”

In addition to the discontent regarding Afridi’s public criticism of team mates, the source added that there were strong differences of opinion between Afridi and some selectors regarding Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan.

“There are some selectors who do not think Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan should be in the one day and Twenty20 squads, but Afridi has a different opinion to them.

There have been previous disagreements between the selectors and Afridi regarding the two players (Alam and Hasan) and the issue will rear it’s head once again when the final squad for the World Cup is due to be selected,” the source concluded.

Pakistan better suited for ODI cricket - Afridi

Pakistan's one-day captain Shahid Afridi has said Pakistan will be a surprise package in the World Cup later this year, despite the problems plaguing the team's recent campaigns, due to them being better suited to the 50-over format.

"No matter what people say and believe, I'm confident that Pakistan will do really well in the World Cup," Afridi told the News after returning from New Zealand following the three-match Twenty20 series there which his side lost 1-2.

"I won't make any predictions but would make it clear that Pakistan will take their best shot for the World Cup title." With under 50 days left for the event, Pakistan are yet to finalise their 30-man preliminary squad.

Three of their key players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir -- have been provisionally suspended following the spot-fixing controversy and their fates will be decided in Doha, later this week.

There are doubts over the futures of two other players - Shoiab Malik and Kamran Akmal - who will appear before the board's integrity committee prior to the announcement of the preliminary list.

"It's certainly not an ideal situation," Afridi said of the side's controversy-ridden build-up to the World Cup.

"But it's our history that we give our best under pressure." Pakistan have performed reasonably well in their recent one-day campaigns, taking five-match series against England and South Africa to the final games.

Afridi said Pakistan's one-day side was more likely to succeed than their outfits for the other formats.

"I would agree that a lot of work has to be done before we start doing well in Tests consistently," he said.

"Even our Twenty20 team needs a world of improvement.

But when it comes to one-day cricket, we are close to achieving an ideal combination.

Most of the players in our Twenty20 team are better suited to the one-day format." Afridi hinted he had given up on the option of opening the innings following his failures at the top in the New Zealand Twenty20s.

"The idea behind my decision to open was to help give the team some fast and useful starts," he said.

"But it didn't work out. Now I've decided to stick to No.6 spot both for Twenty20s and ODIs in the future."

Announcement of cricket WC squads deferred

Pakistan cricket selectors have deferred the announcement of names of thirty probables for World Cup and squad one day series against New Zealand after failing to reach a decision on the final selection. The national selection committee had a marathon meeting here on Friday at Gadaffi Stadium and deliberated upon the names of players but deferred the final selection till next week.

Mohsin Hasan Khan presided over the meeting which was attended by members, Mohammad Ilyas (Member), Azhar Khan and Asif Baloch, Farukh Zaman (both co-opt members) attended the meeting. “The announcement of both the squads has been deferred till early next week. It is pertinent to mention here that PCB has to submit the names of 30 players to ICC for the World Cup by January 5, 2011”, said Mohsin Khan after the meeting here on Friday.

“We had lengthy discussions on performance and availability of many players. We were of the opinion that since we still have a few days before the deadline for announcing the World Cup Squad it would be better to wait until there is absolute clarity from PCB on the availability for selection of certain players”, he added.

Australian media call for selectors' heads

Australian media called for the country's cricket chiefs to resign and urged wholesale reform of the game after a woeful showing which saw England retain the Ashes in the fourth Test. Ricky Ponting's side crashed to a humiliating innings and 157-run defeat in Melbourne on Thursday, allowing holders England to retain the Ashes in Australia for the first time in more than 20 years.

"You're all fired!" declared the front page of Sydney's Daily Telegraph tabloid, featuring shots of Ponting, vice-captain Michael Clarke, coach Tim Nielsen and Andrew Hilditch, Australia's chairman of selectors. Several newspapers carried pictures of the victorious England players performing "The Sprinkler", a comedy dance invented by spinner Graeme Swann, on the Melbourne Cricket Ground field. The magnitude of the loss, Australia's worst against England since 1956, added to the pain, but the Telegraph said it was the glaring lack of prospects in the home side which wounded most.

"In 1956 our national team was relatively young and inexperienced. For them the only way was up," it said in its editorial.

"In 2010 it's not quite the same... It could be that a top-to-bottom reconstruction is called for."

The Australian newspaper's Malcolm Conn agreed, calling for officials to fall on their swords.

"The Cricket Australia board is ultimately responsible for this country's tumble from grace as a Test nation," wrote Conn.

"It wallowed in the glory of Australia's decade of domination instead of reading the signs of what was coming."

He said an inept Australia had been "out-planned, out-thought, out-prepared and outplayed", "humiliated by a third-ranked nation which has one superstar, the South African-born Kevin Pietersen, when he gets his head right".

Former opener Stuart Clark said Australia's top-order was lacking and they had serious bowling issues, with no viable spinner and little variety in style.

"No one within the team or outside can dispute the fact that England have outplayed Australia in every facet of this game," Clark wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald.

One letter to the Herald's editor lashed cricket officials for turning the team's top players "into a sideshow and a laughing stock" by allowing them to take part in adverts for fast food.

"Surely Cricket Australia has an obligation to ensure the team is prepared and presented as a beacon of integrity and ability (which it once was), not some over-commercialised, morally bankrupt group of B-grade actors promoting unhealthy diets," it said.

The newspaper's sports section led with "An Apology to England's Cricketers and Supporters", admitting it was "a superior team that deserved its triumph" and made the "Australian top order look like invertebrates".

"Not that you are prone to relinquishing it anyway, but we accept the urn this time truly belongs at Lord's," the Herald said. "We will call a moratorium on references to infrequent bathing, questionable orthodontistry, general pastiness and warm beer... We thank you for putting on a magnificent show."

Australian cricketers fall from gods to bedraggled larrikins

Andrew Strauss takes his England cricket team from Melbourne to Sydney for the final, celebratory chapter of their enthralling Ashes campaign assured but not smug in the assumption that opponents so long regarded as gods have been reduced to a larrikin rabble.

His counterpart, Ricky Ponting, fighting for his own future as much as that of his bedraggled team, will learn officially at noon tomorrow (1am GMT) if his captaincy is to be cut short or extended in the fifth Test, which starts on Monday.

The word is that he will hang on simply because there is no alternative, given the equally woeful form and downbeat demeanour of his understudy, Michael Clarke. That describes the mayhem within the Australian camp.

England, on the other hand, have only the sun-blessed uplands to gaze upon. There are no selection issues, no niggles, no foreboding.

They took the fourth Test by an innings and 157 runs to win the Ashes in Australia for the first time since Mike Gatting's team did so in 1987. Thereafter, England have scrapped for isolated victories, memorably at home five years ago and less dramatically in 2009.

All that has changed. They lead 2-1 here and they want to finish it off, 3-1. "It would be a damp squib if we didn't go on and win in Sydney," Strauss said, reflecting not only the new buoyancy of the England team but the diminution of the Australians. If England were to win a third Test, it would still be in the shadow of Mike Brearley's visit in 1979, when England beat a depleted side 5-1.

These Australians have not sunk that low, but they no longer inspire trepidation. There is even a feeling abroad bordering on pity, so ruthlessly have their weaknesses been exposed. If they prove their detractors and doubters wrong in the final Test in Sydney, which gives Australia the chance to level the scores but not take back the urn, it will more than likely be through English complacency rather than Australian vibrancy.

After enduring personal hell in the fourth Test, to go with three miserable Tests beforehand, Ponting is virtually begging for his job, the cracked little finger on his left hand no bigger an encumbrance than his reduced standing.

"As a player and a captain," Ponting said, "I still think I've got a lot to offer the Australian team, but I've got to sit down and think about that. I've got to make the decision that I feel is right for Australian cricket."

Yet the tough Tasmanian, 36 and vulnerable after averaging a meagre 16 so far in this series, knows that his team, as much as it can be regarded as such, has been shredded to a collection of demoralised individuals, old lags and young pups, certain neither of their own future nor the strategy that weakly binds them.

They are bedevilled by a lack of leadership at the very top, as players are picked in hope rather than expectation. Ponting, true to his character, continues to speak defiantly of levelling the series 2-2, although those prepared to believe him are dwindling in number and conviction by the day. After two decades of dominance, Australian cricket is staring into a bleak, dark space.

England retained the Ashes through the application of a disciplined and intelligent plan, qualities sorely missing in their opponents not just in this match but in all but one of the other three. Australia's victory in Perth last week is seen in retrospect as the last gasp of the remnants of a once-great side.

If there has been one virtue above all others that has driven England over the past six weeks, it has surely been the unfashionable one of patience, in technique and spirit. Contrary to all modern impulses, that is the way the highest form of the game is still best played.

Australia selected untried players wholly unsuited to the rigours of the five-day game, Talented shot-makers among them, such as Phillip Hughes and Steve Smith, sparkled fleetingly, much as they have done in the popular short-form of the game, before fizzling to earth like spent firecrackers.

Even in their doomed final stand here, they went out in a fit of gestures, the admirable fast bowler Peter Siddle and the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin throwing the bat at everything with the sort of nothing-to-lose freedom gifted to tailenders who have been badly let down by more able colleagues.

Grit once was a given. But, in a game whose historical verities are threatened by the demands for instant and quick entertainment, only the gnarled Michael Hussey proved England's equal.

When Strauss and his players went to the boundary ropes just before the redundant final lunch break to bathe in the applause of the Barmy Army, they knew they had mastered not only their hosts but the art of waiting.

"The Barmy Army have been outstanding in this game," Strauss said. "They have lit up the MCG. They are very special."

The Dunk a Pom ducking stool installed outside Gate 3 of the MCG served to oil rapport between rival supporters with an agreeably light hand for the first three days of this Test but irony was always going to give way to reality.

No more fairground levity. No more pretence at humility. No more wickets, no more runs, no more hope. The Ashes – that delightfully delicate but immensely powerful bond between two rivals of cultural commonality but ever-widening aspirations – would remain out of reach, geographically and metaphorically, for another three years.

This victory did more than take England 2-1 ahead in the five-match series. The win marked a significant shift in cricket hegemony, placing England a good way clear of Australia, ruthlessly dominant for two decades and more.

"It would be a very disappointing end if we weren't able to go on and win the series," Strauss said, "but we want to be No 1 in the world. That's our aim now."That is how far England have come in six weeks – and how far Australia have fallen.

Sohail Tanvir to Join Pak Squad in New Zealand

Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to send all rounder Sohail Tanvir to join the Pakistan Squad in New Zealand. Tanvir had initially been selected for the National Squads for T20 and Test matches against New Zealand for the ongoing series however he could not get fitness clearance for the T20matches.

According to Sohail Tanvir, he had no pain, discomfort anywhere in the body. However he was having stiffness in his lower back and legs during the last concluded camp for which he was treated appropriately. PCB’s team comprising doctor, physio and coaches have re-evaluated his fitness. The PCB team consulted the Australian doctor who performed surgery on Sohail Tanvir in whose view it takes approximately 18 months to 2 years for a graft to settle. Sohail has been participating and performing in domestic cricket and so far has claimed 33 wickets in 5 Matches that he played.

After evaluating Sohail Tanvir, the PCB team is of the view that the more he plays the graft will settle and bending of the knee will improve with the passage of time. Therefore Sohail should carry on normally in cricket and try to avoid fielding positions in circle especially that require sharp bending as his bowling and batting ability can be fully utilized without further deterioration or pain in his left knee.