No cricketer in Pakistan has rights to talk about integrity, lambasts Salman Butt

04/09/2020

Tainted cricketer Salman Butt, who was at the heart of the infamous Lord’s spot-fixing scandal in 2010, has lashed out at Pakistan players speaking about integrity, stating that they are not saints to be making claims. Butt’s comments come on the back of Hafeez opposing Sharjeel Khan’s selection.

Ten years ago, the then Pakistan skipper Salman Butt, along with Mohammad Asif and youngster Mohammad Amir, brought the sport of cricket to disrepute, when he agreed with bookie Mazhar Majeed to spot-fix in his country’s encounter with England at Lord’s, by forcing Amir to bowl a no-ball. The incident was uncovered thanks to a sting operation run by English publication ‘News of the World’ and the aftermath of the incident saw the tainted trio serve time in jail.

Butt, who has since come back to cricket and has been plying his trade in both PSL and the domestic circuit, however, had some harsh words for the incumbent national cricketers. The former skipper lashed out at current cricketers who take moral high grounds and attested that no one but the PCB and ICC have the rights to talk about integrity. Butt further went on to reveal that several cricketers were picked in the team as ‘favours’, pointing to corruption within the management.

“I really don’t understand why should anyone even speak on this issue and give his opinion because it doesn’t really matter. Bottom line is that only the ICC and PCB should be speaking on this as they make the laws,” Butt was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

“I know players who have been added to the team because of their connections and there have been several players who have made numerous comebacks without giving any meaningful performances. Are these things different from corruption? We shouldn’t even talk about integrity in Pakistan cricket.”

Butt’s comments come on the back of Mohammad Hafeez’s opposition to re-integrating Sharjeel Khan in the team, with the latter stating that the country should hold its values dear and say no to players involved in corruption. Butt indirectly questioned Hafeez’s comments and pointed out the hypocrisy of several incumbent cricketers in the Pakistan cricket team.

“Punishment implies that once you have served the time, you should be treated like any other player. Where does their integrity go when they are in the mix and working with those people? Or when they endorse players because of their connections?"

The tainted Test match at Lord’s in 2010 was incidentally Salman Butt’s last ever appearance in a Pakistan shirt.