Mani slates ICC over Butt’s role as TV pundit

BIRMINGHAM, England, (Reuters) – Former International  Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani has branded the governing  body “weak” for not doing more to prevent disgraced Pakistan  batsman Salman Butt from taking up a World Cup media role.
Although the ICC is powerless to prevent a private Pakistan  TV channel from hiring Butt, who was banned for five years on  fixing charges last week, Mani said they should have tried  harder or voiced their disapproval.
Instead Butt, the Pakistan captain during their tainted test  series in England last year, will be having his opinons  broadcast to potentially millions in his homeland despite being  banned from having any links with cricket.
The ICC told Reuters today that since Butt is working  for Pakistan’s Channel 5 which is a non-licensee or rights  holder, they are powerless to prevent him from working for the  broadcaster.
“Legally, we have no jurisdiction,” said spokesman  Sami-ul-Hasan.
Butt will be banned from attending the event itself and will  be voicing his opinions from the private channel’s studio back  in Pakistan.
“It’s wrong, the ICC is showing weak leadership and I am  disappointed that it has not been tougher on this issue,” Mani  told Reuters in a telephone interview. “They could do much more.
“The ICC should not be silent and should express its  disapproval, at least to the Pakistan Cricket Board which may  have more influence in the country.
“A precedent has already been set on this by the ICC when  (then chief executive) Malcolm Speed and I were in power and we  stopped (Mohammad) Azharuddin from taking up a media role when  he was banned.
“We objected because we felt it was sending the wrong  message out to millions of viewers that a banned cricketer can  still be allowed to be paid for his opinions.
“We spoke to the Indian board and let it be known to them  that we were not impressed that a TV channel in their country  was employing someone who was tainted.
“The same principles should also have applied in this  instance.”
Butt was banned for 10 years at an ICC disciplinary hearing  in Doha, Qatar, though five years of his ban were suspended.
His former team-mates Mohammad Asif (seven years with two  suspended) and Mohammad Amir (five years) were also banned for  their parts in a cheating scandal that rocked world cricket last  year.
The trio were found to have fixed part of a test against  England by deliberately no-bowling.