ICC anti-corruption tribunal will start prosecution against Pakistani cricketers

DOHA: Today the ICC anti-corruption tribunal will start prosecution against Pakistani cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. If they found guilty, they will have to face long ban.

The trials will be held behind closed doors at the Qatar Financial Centre from 0630 GMT and is continued to run till January 11, yet the lawyers have pointed out the decision may come earlier. At first these players have to face accuses of spot fixing during Pakistan's tour to England last year.

It has been claimed to make no-balls by intentionally but they all rejects the charges.  The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended all the three cricketers in September 2010 with the world central body's code of manner carrying a minimum five-year ban if corruption claims are confirmed. The utmost sentence is life time ban of this game.

The scandal appears when Britain's News of the World alleged that seven Pakistani cricketers, as well as Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, received funds from bookie Mazhar Majeed to follow instruction at definite stages in the Test, which has been played in Lords Cricket ground in August 2010. The Scotland Yard team raided the team’s hotel in London, and revealed that a huge amount in US Dollars obtained from the Salman's room. 

The autonomous hearing is being held by code of conduct commissioner and leading lawyer Michael Beloff of England, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.

The three cricketers will defend  the claims through heavyweight lawyers, pace bowler Asif, represented by Allan Cameron, brother of British Prime Minister David Cameron, opening batsman Salman, 26, is represented by British-based lawyer Yasin Patel, while 18-year-old fast bowler Aamer's legal team is headed by Shahid Karim from Pakistan.

Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi and head coach Waqar Younis have been called as trials witnesses.

While the ICC has declared it will not be commenting until a judgment is came out, chief executive Haroon Lorgat told the BBC recently he was sure of the case against the players.

"We need to drive a strong message and that is part of what we want to achieve," Lorgat said. "We've strived hard at collecting all the evidence that we would need to make the claims stand."