Pakistan's High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan yesterday attacked the International Cricket Council (ICC) for suspending three Pakistani players even while the police investigation was going on in the spot-fixing scandal
Pakistan's High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan yesterday attacked the International Cricket Council (ICC) for suspending three Pakistani players even while the police investigation was going on in the spot-fixing scandal.
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| Pakistan High Commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan |
Hasan accused the ICC of "playing to the public gallery", and said the council had "no business" taking action while the investigations were on.
"They (the ICC) have done the wrong thing. When there's a live police inquiry, this takes precedence over both the ICC, civil or regulatory investigations and any disciplinary investigations," Hasan was quoted as saying by Radio 4's Today programme.
"To take action now is unhelpful, premature and unnecessary considering the players had already voluntarily withdrawn from playing. The ICC had no business to take this action. The ICC is just playing to the public gallery."
Hasan said that he had spoken to the three cricketers and had concluded that they were innocent.
Hasan's attack come after Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were charged by the ICC late Thursday on night with multiple breaches of the ICC's anti-corruption rules and were suspended from all forms of the game with immediate effect.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat warned that the players can face life bans if they are proved guilty.
They could face even stiffer action as the result of the ongoing criminal inquiry, which will accelerate when the trio will be interviewed under caution by detectives from Scotland Yard.
On Thursday they protested their innocence but are currently being viewed as suspects in the alleged
conspiracy.
