International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat has backed the anti-corruption tribunal's decision to ban former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, saying that the trio were banned on solid proof of corruption.
International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat has backed the anti-corruption tribunal's decision to ban former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, saying that the trio were banned on solid proof of corruption.
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Butt was banned for 10 years, with five years suspended, while Asif and Aamir were handed bans of seven years with two suspended and five years respectively.
The charges relate to alleged incidents during last year's Lord's Test against England, when Britain's 'News of the World' tabloid claimed the players were willing to deliberately bowl no-balls.
"We are satisfied at the tribunal's decision, which was taken on solid evidence and we hope with this decision the image of the game will improve," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lorgat, as saying.
The ICC chief also rejected suggestions that the punishments were lenient.
"I don't believe the sentences are lenient by any stretch of the imagination. I think they are balanced with an expert and experienced jury dealing with the case," Lorgat said.
"In legal terms you have to be proportionate when you are giving punishment and we must distinguish between match-fixing and spot-fixing, and the jury was independent and they decided on proportionate punishments," he added.
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