Sanction on Asif & Butt to expire on Sept 1

The statement indicates that the Board is buying time to reach a policy decision on the issue and the PCB source indicated that things might not be that easy for Butt and Asif even after they return to playing domestic cricket with the National T20 championship in Rawalpindi from September 1.

With regard to the global Cricket Council’s announcement on lifting of sanctions against Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif on Wednesday, PCB has sought further clarification from the ICC.

Meanwhile, a senior PCB official confirmed that Butt has fulfilled the requirements of ICC but hasn’t fulfilled all the commitments required of him as per the PCB’s rehabilitation process.

“It’s an open ground for everyone, if I perform, get my rhythm back then I will be selected for Pakistan again, for which I am very keen”, he said.

“I have accepted responsibility for my actions and have apologized several times for that”. It’s true that if you don’t play competitive cricket for sometime you get rusty but with few matches it will go too.

“I will not support their comeback to worldwide cricket simply because they will replace someone who might not be as talented as them but has done nothing ethnically or morally wrong and has not indulged in corruption”, said Latif, as quoted by Press Trust of India.

The three players were found guilty of various offences of corrupt behavior relating to the Lords Test between England and Pakistan in August 2010 by the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal on 5 February 2011, with their sanctions backdated to commence on September 2 2010 (the date on which they were initially charged and provisionally suspended).

Former captain and famous cricket commentator, Ramiz Raja is yet another cricketer who is against the return of these players.

There are speculations floating around that Asif along with Butt and Amir must not be allowed to play any form of cricket ever again.

“Some people are making judgments too early but let us first play domestic cricket and see how it goes”.

Butt knows that he will need some attuning before he gets to his best in the domestic circuit.

Asif also insisted that people and former players should accept the fact that they had completed their punishment for their wrong doing and should not be given a second chance to redeem themselves and show everyone they will not repeat the same mistake again.