Spot-fixing: Pak trio record statement to tribunal

Pakistan's suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Muhammad Amir on Friday recording their statements to the anti-corruption tribunal of the International Cricket Council in Doha.

Well placed sources said that Pakistan's one-day captain, Shahid Afridi, had also recorded his statement to the three-member tribunal via teleconference from Karachi.

"The players have recorded their statements and the ICC anti-corruption unit has also submitted its evidences and, from Saturday, lawyers from both sides will start examining the evidences and cross questioning of witnesses and other material related to the case," the source said.

"The players have said what they had to say and now it is upto their lawyers how they construct and mount their defence against the charges brought by the ICC against the three players of violating clauses of the anti-corruption code of conduct," the source added.

The hearing, held at the Qatar Financial Centre Civil and Commercial Courts, has attracted worldwide attention as it would decide the fate of the three players.

The source said that Afridi repeated the same statement he had earlier given to the ICC in November. "He has said nothing different and the same is expected of coach Waqar Younis and the team's former security manager Javed Najam."

Mazher Mahmood, the News of the World journalist who broke the story of the trio's involvement in spot fixing, is also expected to appear at the hearing as a witness, and the newspaper's evidence is expected to be significant.

Another source indicated that the scenario was not very bright for Butt in particular.

"Rumours are that Asif and Amir in their statements have made it clear that they only bowled the no-balls on the instructions of their captain," the source said.

The source said that the ICC's evidence includes video footages, phone records and the evidence also relates to the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies last year.

The hearing is due to continue until January 11 but sources claimed that if the tribunal feels the ICC has been given a fair process to prove its charges against the trio and the players have also got a fair opportunity to defend themselves, it could end the hearing before the scheduled date.

Image: Afzal Shaikh