KARACHI: The Crown Court in London has announced its verdict in the spot-fixing case involving cricketers Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Aamir and Salman Butt.
The court handed down former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt, 27, a jail sentence of two years and six months, fast bowler Muhammad Asif, 28, one year behind bars, while 19-year-old Muhammad Aamir was given six months in prison.
Cricket agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, from Croydon in south London, was handed the harshest penalty. He was sentenced to two years and eight months by the Southwark court.
Butt will appeal his 30-month sentence.
The court said that imprisonment is the only penalty for such acts.
Judge Jeremy Cooke said Mazhar Majeed and the three cricketers were found guilty of corruption in the case and have tarnished the game of cricket.
Butt and Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of deliberately bowling three no-balls on purpose during the Lord's Test in August 2010 as part of a betting scam. The scam was uncovered by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct "News of the World".
Aamir and Majeed had already pleaded guilty to involvement in the scam.
They were also ordered to pay compensation towards cost of prosecution - Butt £30,937, Asif £8,120 and Amir £9,389.
All three cricketers and Majeed will serve half of their sentences before being released on licence.
This has been the worst fixing scandal since South Africa captain Hanse Cronje in 2000.
The ICC had banned Butt for 10 years with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended, and Aamir for five years straight after finding them guilty of corruption in February. They all appealed the bans.
The following is a list of major cases of bans handed out:
Life bans:
May 2000: Former Pakistan captain Salim Malik banned for life by a judicial inquiry conducted by judge Malik Mohammad Qayyum. Salim Malik was alleged to have fixed matches on Pakistan's tour of New Zealand in 1993, South Africa and Zimbabwe (1994-95).
Australian players Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Tim May also alleged Malik offered them bribes to underperform during Australia's tour to Pakistan in 1994.
Team-mate Rashid Latif also accused Malik of wrongdoing.
Pakistan paceman Ata-ur-Rehman banned for life for perjury during the Qayyum inquiry. His ban was overturned by the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2003 -- a decision accepted by the ICC in 2006.
October 2000: Former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje banned for life by the United Cricket Board of South Africa after he admitted to match-fixing and having contacts with bookmakers.
December 2000: Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin banned for life after an investigation conducted by the Crime Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India. He was found to have contacts with bookmakers and manipulated match results.
December 2000: Former Indian off-spinner Ajay Sharma banned for life in the same inquiry, conducted by the CBI.
Bans:
December 2000: The same CBI inquiry found India's Ajay Jadeja had links with bookmakers. He was banned for five years, but on appeal was allowed to play in domestic cricket in India three years later.
October 2000: South African opener Herschelle Gibbs and paceman Henry Williams both banned for six months after admitting to underperforming in agreement with Cronje. Both failed to follow through on their agreement.
August 2004: Kenya's Maurice Odume banned for five years by the Kenyan Cricket Association for associating with bookmakers.
May 2008: West India all-rounder Marlon Samuels banned for two years for links with a bookmaker.
February 2011: Butt banned for 10 years for spot-fixing. Asif banned for seven years and Aamer for five years.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2011
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011
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