Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has filed a "comprehensive and hard-hitting" response to allegations of spot-fixing ahead of an International Cricket Council tribunal, his lawyer said Tuesday. The 26-year-old was provisionally suspended by the ICC along with fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer following claims of spot-fixing during the Test against England at Lord's in August.
Lawyer criticises Lorgat over violation Butt's lawyer Shahid Saeed also hit out at ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat for violating a confidentiality agreement. "Butt on December 13 has filed a detailed, comprehensive and hard-hitting 40-page response to each and every allegation brought by the ICC with regard to spot-fixing levelled against him," Saeed said in a statement. No details of the reply would be made public, the statement said, because of the confidentiality agreement - which it said Lorgat had breached.
"The ICC itself is violating the agreement, as evident from the recent comments of Lorgat," said the statement, referring to remarks the chief executive made to the BBC saying he "would be disappointed if the tribunal finds Pakistani players accused of spot-fixing not guilty." Butt, Asif and Aamer are due to appear before an ICC anti-corruption tribunal in Doha, Qatar from January 6 to 11 and face severe punishment if found guilty, including lengthy bans. Saeed has replaced lawyer Khalid Ranjha, who represented Butt in his failed appeal against suspension in October, while another lawyer Aftab Gul returned to assist Saeed after deciding to quit last month.