Lahore: Banned former Test captain Salman Butt has been told in clear terms by Pakistan Cricket Board to admit his involvement in 2010 spot-fixing incident in England or else face the prospect of his suspension being extended to 10 years, according to sources.
A senior Board official said the PCB had been in constant touch with Butt and his lawyer in this regard but so far the former captain was not willing to admit his full and direct involvement in the spot-fixing scandal during the fourth Test at Lord's five years ago.
The ICC banned Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for spot-fixing during the Test with all of them getting minimum five-year bans. The ICC's anti-corruption tribunal also imposed a suspended five-year ban on Butt.
The PCB official said that this five-year suspended ban could be added up if Butt did not meet with the requirements of the ICC's anti-corruption code.
Butt's five-year active ban ends in September this year while Amir has already been given a relaxation by the ICC and allowed to resume playing domestic cricket before his ban ends, also in September.
"When the PCB wrote a letter to Butt earlier this year and when he also met with senior officials he admitted that he had violated the ICC's anti-corruption laws and should have informed them about any approach made to him," the senior Board official said.
"But he has yet to admit that he was directly involved in staging the spot-fixing incidents during the Test match. He is yet to admit he did real time spot-fixing," the official said.
"And we have made it clear to him in writing and verbally that until he does not do this and admit his full guilt, he does not fulfill the ICC requirements and the PCB cannot plead his case for relaxation," the official added.
"If there is no change in his stance, once his five-year ban ends in September and if he has not completed the ICC requirements of fulfilling the anti-corruption rehabilitation programme for banned players, then he can face the prospect of having his five year suspended sentence evoked as well," the official stated.
