Punish cricketers if found guilty: Pak HC

In a change of tone, Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan said that the three cricketers accused of spot-fixing should receive life bans if found guilty.

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after it was revealed in a sting operation conducted by British tabloid The New of the World that they were involved in a spot-fixing scandal.

“If the News of the World evidence is correct, then I would banish them from cricket,” Hasan was quoted as saying by BBC Radio 5 live.

Hasan’s comments come a day after he criticised the ICC for the violating the general principle of “innocent till proven guilty” by suspending the trio even when the investigations are on.

Hasan insisted the trio are “innocent until proven guilty”.

“That was my stance from day one and I still maintain it. We questioned them and all my colleagues that talked to them said that, yes, apparently they are innocent. But we’re not police investigators – it’s up to the police to find out if they’re guilty,” he told 5 live’s Sportsweek.

Meanwhile, the News of the World claims the ICC is investigating a fourth Pakistan cricketer.

But ICC refused to comment on ongoing investigations.

“We are making no comment regarding the suggestion that the ICC is probing a fourth player. We do not comment on ongoing investigations, we will not revealing any details about the charges [faced by Butt, Asif and Amir],” added the ICC spokesman after the News of the World reported that the three men were facing a total of 23 charges.

The Metropolitan Police said it is not investigating a fourth player.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has revealed that none of the trio have been interviewed by his organisation after police warned doing so could prejudice the criminal investigation.

Lorgat also told BBC Radio 5 live’s Sportsweek programme that ICC action would be “prompt and decisive”.

“If people are found guilty, the consequences will be severe,” Lorgan added. “The maximum sentence is a life ban but I don’t want to prejudge any guilt or any sanction.

Lorgat admitted, however, that in 18-year-old Amir’s case, age could be a mitigating factor, if he is found guilty.

“If I’m giving my own personal view, age could come into account, But an independent tribunal will have to decide on that.”

But BBC reported that wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has been contacted in writing by the ICC, though there is no suggestion that he is the fourth player and it is not in relation to incidents in the recent fourth Test at Lord’s.

During Lord’s match , Asif and Amir are alleged to have bowled three no-balls between them at pre-determined times to facilitate betting coups after agent Mazhar Majeed was reported to have accepted ?150,000.