Salman Butt keen for return to competitive cricket

Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Salman Butt who was slapped a five-year ban by the International Cricket Council for his involvement in the spot fixing scandal, said on Thursday that youngsters should learn from his mistakes. "I am ready to meet all the conditions of Pakistan Cricket Board for his return to the playing field," he told the media.
The International Cricket Council has confirmed that the three cricketers of Pakistan Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Mohammad Amir can return to competitive cricket after September 1, but the domestic cricketing community remains divided over whether the tainted cricketers should be allowed to represent the national team again.
Former captain Butt said to return to the game he was willing to fulfil any of conditions that the board put forward to pave the way for his return to the field and hoped after the ICC, the board would also allow him to return to the domestic cricket. "There is stiff competition to be part of the playing eleven and he will have to practice a lot," he added.
He said he was thankful for the opportunity that has been given to him for making a return to competitive cricket. "I welcome International Cricket Council's decision of allowing him to play the game after the five-year ban ends on September 1."
He also thanked the board for helping him in the process of getting back into the field. "The younger generation of cricketers should learn from the mistakes that he had made. I pray that no one should go through such a time what I have been through."
Salman was involved in spot-fixing incidents in the August 2010 Test against England together with fast-bowlers Asif and Amir. A British newspaper News of the World broke the story and the aforementioned players were later found to take bribes from a bookmaker, Mazhar Majeed, to bowl no-balls.
The British police arrested the bookmaker and the ICC banned the three players for different periods; Amir for five years, Asif for seven years (later two years were suspended on specific conditions) and Salman for 10 years (later five years were suspended on specific conditions).