Pakistan players, ICC hold breath over verdict

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Much more will be at stake on  Saturday than just three careers when lawyer Michael Beloff  reads the verdict of an independent anti-corruption tribunal in  Doha on cheating allegations facing three Pakistan cricketers.
The three-member tribunal heard the case against Salman  Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif last month for more than  45 hours spread over six days, poring over oral and written  testimonies, watching video recordings and listening to tapes  and forensic submissions.
The cricketers face career-threatening bans if they are  found guilty of so-called ‘spot-fixing’ during Pakistan’s test  series in England last year. All three have consistently denied  wrongdoing.
A British Sunday newspaper report alleged that they had  taken bribes to arrange for deliberate no-balls to be delivered  at pre-agreed times in the fourth test at Lord’s for the benefit  of gamblers.
Saturday  will be the judgment day at the Qatari capital and  many cricket observers see the verdict as an indication of the  governing body International Cricket Council’s (ICC) sincerity  in tackling corruption in the game.
“The verdict will tell us how serious ICC actually is about  corruption,” cricket historian Boria Majumdar told Reuters.
“At the end of the day, it’s the fans who matter most and  the scandal has shaken their belief. It’s for ICC to restore  their belief.”
The governing body declined to comment in advance of the  hearing when approached this week by Reuters.
“Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has failed to deal firmly with  the issue. It’s time for ICC to live up to its zero-tolerance  policy on corruption,” Majumdar said.
The mood is already sombre in cricket-mad Pakistan ahead of  the verdict.
“I think these players are going to be lost to Pakistan  cricket for some years, which is sad,” former PCB chief Tauqir  Zia told Reuters.
“But if it is proven beyond doubt they were guilty of  corruption in the sport, they (tribunal) must make an example of  them for a better future of the sport.”
Zia headed the PCB which in 2000 banned former captain,  Salim Malik, and pacer Ata-ur-Rehman for life and fined five  other players for their involvement in match-fixing.
Former Pakistan skipper Aamir Sohail added: “When the PCB  didn’t do anything the ICC acted and now I don’t think these  players are going to be shown any leniency by the ICC.”
Another former captain, Rashid Latif, praised the way ICC  had tackled the issue but was not convinced that the menace can  be rooted out altogether.
“This is a good start. I hope the players have got a fair  hearing,” he said.
“…it is time the ICC took steps to discourage spot-fixing  although this menace can never be eliminated completely from any  sport.”
Latif felt 18-year-old Amir, if found guilty, might get away  with a lighter punishment because of his age but Pakistan  batting great Zaheer Abbas advocated stringent action against  anyone found guilty.
“No leniency should be shown to anyone who tries to defame  cricket because nowadays players are being paid well for their  efforts, far more then we earned in our days.”
Looking ahead, Pakistan’s World Cup winning captain Imran  Khan prescribed a ceaseless vigil by the respective boards to  curb the menace.
“It has to be a constant vigilance by all cricket boards,”  Imran told reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“All players’ bank accounts should be made transparent. It  should to be tapped at a scale not done before and the (corrupt)  players should be given exemplary punishments.”