Print

[Six Sixes Cricket]

Bans are in

Butt 10 years
Asif 7 years
Amir 5 years

[Six Sixes Cricket]

Quite lenient and will probably be halved on appeal!!!

[roco]

Can't see them shortening them at all but all will depend on match 17th at there trial

[PM7]

Should be end of the line for Asif and Butt.
Shame about Aamir, hopefully he will be back in 5 years if he can keep motivated.
Anything can happen with the PCB..... they might all be back playing next year

[roco]

Well with the suspended parts they have all got a minimum 5yr icc ban from all cricket so nothing the pcb can do but not much will matter if sent down next month

[100 not out]

As a Pakistan supporter I am happy about all these bans. I think they are lucky to have got off lightly. If it was me I would have given life bans to all of them. I think also the illegal betting syndicates in India and the UAE need to be tackled too though. Never really rated Butt I think this is a blessing in disguise.

[uknsaunders]

this is before they stand trial in the UK for Fraud. You can bet they won't get off as lightly - 5-7 years in the pokey.

[Number5]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but the ICC has found them guilty of corruption, the same charge the Crown Prosecution Service declared yesterday, so there's not much chance that they will be found "not guilty m'lord" over here is there? 

Will they voluntarily return to the UK to face the charges now that the ICC has ruled that they are guilty and the risk that they could face a spell in a UK prison if found guilty as charged by the CPS? 

Will the UK really seek extradition of 3 cricketers if they decide not to return?  Even if they do, will the Pakistan authorities round them up and ship them over on the next flight from Islamabad....I don't think so! 

Can't help thinking that being banned from playing cricket, their livelihood, is enough punishment.  That said, they'd get to play some cricket during their spell at Her Majesty's pleasure.  It would be a pretty handy prison cricket team  with those 3 in it!

[roco]

They will push for extradition and will most likely be found guilty I think but they are innocent till proven guilty so we will see

This has finished the career of butt and asif due to age but will amir come back from this and who would take the punt

[Jeet]

Very mediocre bans handed out. Butt should've been give a life ban, as he should've known better a la Hansie Cronje.

Asif with his previous misdemeanours was also fortunate he didn't receive a 10-15 year ban.

Amir was all ways going to get the minimal penalty. PCB where almost prepared to sacrifice Butt and Asif so that Amir didn't receive a life ban.

[uknsaunders]

I'd imagine the Crown received assurances they would come back, when they let them leave the country in the first place. However, if they failed to return then they would be arrested on entry to the UK at any point in the future. It may not bother them but I'd doubt they'd be able to represent Pakistan in the UK until the matter was resolved.

Most likely is a deal will be done for minimal time or suspended sentence, maybe served in Pakistan. Rich/important people seem to get this kind of lenient treatment when they abuse the law.

[jonpinson]

Surely cheating is cheating so why hand out the minimum ban for each player (that is all it amounts too)? They will appeal, bans will be halved, they will all be back in 2 years. What kind of message does that send?

[tim2000s]

As long as you cheat for the  right betting syndicate you get away with it?

[Number5]

....and what about their proceeds from the "crime" they committed?  Surely there was significant personal financial reward for the risks they took.....the games they cheated in were completed, the no-balls were awarded by the Umpires, no doubt the betting syndicates collected their winnings for the no-ball bets they placed...so what about the players involved...."thanks lads...here you go...hope these bags of cash will compensate you for not being able to play international cricket for a couple of years."?

The ICC didn't impose any financial penalty, only time period bans, so they've still got their cut...although it's probably been laundered converted into some nice 24 carat gold during their recent trip to Doha!

[golders]

The bans seems very leniant to me. Also, if they go to prison it basically makes the bans null and void. What a joke! Also, I dont get why Aamir didnt get any of his ban suspended- they all got five years! Doesn't make sense to me. Must be very sad and embarrassing for pakistanis round the world