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Summary
International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat Wednesday said that Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt has appealed against his provisional suspension from cricket over spot-fixing allegations. Butt, together with fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, was banned from playing by the ICC after allegations made by Britain's News of the World they had been involved in a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls during last month's Test against England at Lord's as part of a betting scam. The allegations have since become the subject of a Scotland Yard investigation. The trio had the right of appeal and Lorgat said Butt had taken up the option, which will now be subject to a new hearing. We are making good progress, Lorgat told reporters. Just yesterday (Tuesday) we received a request from Salman Butt to consider lifting the suspension, the South African added. As expeditiously as possible, we will conduct a hearing to consider that appeal. Lorgat's comments came just hours after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt flew into England and refused to apologise for his part in the ongoing 'fixing' row. Pakistan's recent tour of England, where they also played Australia in a neutral series, was marred by spot-fixing allegations. The tour ended in acrimony when Ijaz Butt alleged England players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose the third one-day international at The Oval, sparking a furious row between the two countries' cricket officials. England players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have threatened legal action unless they receive an unreserved apology from Ijaz Butt who, at the time, said he was just repeating something he'd heard from bookmakers.
