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Tainted Pakistan cricketer Butt hopeful of comeback

Former Test captain urges PCB to look at cases post ICC anti-corruption code revamp
Karachi: Pakistan's banned former Test captain Salman Butt has not given up hopes of a comeback after the ICC revised its anti-corruption code and left the responsibility of pleading cases for banned players to the home Boards.
"I am sure Pakistan Cricket Board will deal with our cases in the same way they deal with Mohammad Aamir's case," Butt said on Monday.
Under the revised code, a home Board can request the ICC's anti-corruption unit chief to allow a banned player to return to domestic cricket before his ban ends officially.
The PCB has already stated it would move swiftly to plead the case for Aamir. Butt, who along with teammates Aamir and Mohammad Asif, was banned for a minimum of five years in 2011 for spot-fixing scandal in the fourth Test at Lords against England in 2010,
said he would meet PCB officials to plead his case.
"I am happy at this revision of the code and I am sure that if the PCB also pleads my case the ICC will give it consideration. I would love to resume playing domestic cricket
by next year," Butt said.
"For what happened, I have deep regrets and know it was wrong and we have been punished for it. I would request the PCB to now also look at our cases," said Butt.
But, a PCB official said that the revised anti-corruption code of the ICC carried some conditions for a banned player to be given permission to resume playing domestic cricket before his ban ends.
"The foremost is that the ACU and ICC will take into consideration how quickly the player repented his actions, confessed to his guilt and how much he cooperated with the authorities to redeem and rehabilitate himself and Aamir fulfils all conditions," he said.
The official said the Board would first deal with Aamir's case on priority basis as he was just 22 and was the first to admit to his guilt and neither did he make any appeals.
Butt and Asif exhausted all appeal avenues available to them before admitting to involvement in the spot-fixing scandal.
Danish Kaneria writes to ICC
Pakistan's Test leg spinner Danish Kaneria, who is serving a life ban for spot fixing, has sought ICC's help, urging the international body to investigate the actions of ECB, PCB and former Essex player Mervyn Westfield in his case.
Kaneria said that he has written to the International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson, and has sent certain documents.
"I have sent them certain documents for their attention which highlights a lot of issues in my case.
"I have asked the ICC to take positive steps to retain the integrity of cricket and its member boards by investigating the actions of the ECB, PCB and Westfield," said
Kaneria.
The spinner, who took 261 Test wickets, was first banned for life by the England and Wales Cricket Board for his role in spot-fixing while playing for Essex in the English county championship in 2013.
His subsequent appeals with the ECB and the commercial high court in London in 2013 and 2014 failed as he attempted to get the life ban lifted and a fresh hearing for his case.
The ECB's disciplinary commission had banned him for being a grave danger to cricket and cricketers and for his role in trying to spot fix in county matches dating back to 2009 and 2010.
"I believe as the world's governing body of the sport the ICC must be aware of the actions of these boards and have therefore brought to the attention of the ICC certain issues which require their urgent consideration," Kaneria said.
( Source : PTI )
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