A London court has announced Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif, two Pakistani cricketers, are guilty of fixing parts of a Test match. The sentence charged includes up to seven years in jail. The sentence is a welcomed step towards forever ridding the sport of corruption, said Australian captain Michael Clarke. Both players, Butt aged 27 and Asif, 28, were convicted of conspiracy to obtain or accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling. Mohammad Aamer, a young Pakistani bowler has pleaded guilty to the same charges and also faces jail. “There is no place in any sport for match-fixing of any kind,” Clarke said. “And the verdicts … should act as a strong deterrent for any player or administrator that tries to denigrate our great game. “While today's proceedings are a step in the right direction, it is hugely important that the authorities continue to put processes in place to rid the game of match-fixing forever.” Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive Officer, James Sutherland said “As an International Cricket Council member, CA has long supported the ICC's view that anti-corruption needs to be a priority wherever the game is played,” “It is critically important that the public has confidence in the integrity of the on-field cricket contests it sees.” ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said “We have always said that we will continue to explore every possible avenue to ensure that cricket is free from corrupt activity,” “That is precisely what we have done in this case.” BM
