ICC impose lengthy sanctions on tainted Pak trio

Doha, Feb 5 (PTI) Ending month''s of uncertainity, the ICCtoday banned former Pakistan captain Salman Butt for 10 yearsand sanctioned seven and five years of ineligibility for paceduo of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer after finding thethree cricketers guilty of spot-fixing.

In its verdict, the ICC imposed 10 years ban on Butt withfive years of suspended sentence, Asif a seven-year sanctionwith two years suspended, while Amir was banned forfive years.

"The Tribunal found that the charges under Article 2.1.1of the Code that (respectively) Mr Asif agreed to bowl and didbowl a deliberate no ball in the Lord''s Test match playedbetween Pakistan and England from 26 to 29 August 2010, MrAmir agreed to bowl and did bowl two deliberate no balls inthe same Test, and Mr Butt was party to the bowling of thosedeliberate no balls, were proved," the ICC said in astatement.

"We, therefore, impose the following sanctions: OnButt''s ten years ineligibility, five years of which aresuspended on the condition that he doesn''t commit furtherbreaches of the code, and that he participates under theauspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board in a programme ofanti-corruption education.

"On Asif, a sanction of seven years of ineligibility, twoyears of which are suspended on the condition that he commitsno further breach of the code and also participates in ananti-corruption programme," it said.

"On Aamer a sanction of five years ineligibility. Nofurther sanctions are imposed on any player," the statementadded.

The verdict was announced after a lengthy nine-hourhearing in front of ICC''s three-man tribunal -- comprisingMichael Beloff QC, Sharad Rao and Justice Albie Sachs -- andthe players and their legal teams at the Qatar FinancialCenter here.

There was lot of drama and argument in the hearing as theplayers'' lawyers requested the ICC to adjourn the verdict asit could have an impact on the criminal case filed by UK''sCrown Prosecution Service (CPS) against the players in Londonyesterday. .