ICC suspends Pakistan's Butt, Asif, Aamer

LONDON: Cricket's world governing body charged three Pakistan stars accused in a betting scam with anti-corruption offences and provisionally suspended them Thursday, as the trio protested their innocence.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were barred from taking part in all cricket matches with immediate effect, although they can appeal the suspension.

Earlier, Pakistan's ambassador to Britain said after meeting the trio that they had asked to miss the rest of the team's tour of England because of the scandal, but said he believed their insistence that they were innocent.

The ICC said it had charged the three stars with offences under its anti-corruption code and they had been provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges.

"We will not tolerate corruption in cricket - simple as that," said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

"We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban.

"The ICC will do everything possible to keep such conduct out of the game and we will stop at nothing to protect the sport's integrity. While we believe the problem is not widespread, we must always be vigilant.

"It is important, however, that we do not pre-judge the guilt of these three players. That is for the independent tribunal alone to decide."

Earlier, Butt, Aamer and Asif met with Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and Pakistan's ambassador to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, at the diplomat's London office.

Speaking afterwards, Hasan said: "The three players have said that they are extremely disturbed by what has happened in the past week, especially in regard of their alleged involvement in the crime.

"They mentioned that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such.

"They maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches."

Asked later if he believed the trio were innocent, Hasan replied: "Yes, I believe in their innocence."

Butt, Aamer and Asif were all named in a News of the World report which alleged they were involved in a "spot-fixing" scam by bowling deliberate no-balls in last week's Test match with England in exchange for cash.

However Hasan later questioned the authenticity of video footage shot by the newspaper, saying the players may have been framed.

"The video wasn't timed or dated. It could have been filmed before or after the match, or at a different time," he told the BBC.

Asked specifically whether he believed the players may have been set up, he replied: "Yes, I would say that. Yes."

The revelations have shocked the cricket world and led to calls from figures within the game that the players involved should be banned for life.

The trio were quizzed by police during the Lord's Test and had their mobile phones confiscated. Sky News reported they would be questioned again Friday, but Scotland Yard refused to confirm this.

London-based businessman Mazhar Majeed was arrested on Sunday but released without charge on police bail.

Meanwhile Australian Test legend Shane Warne added his voice to the chorus of condemnation, saying authorities should choose the ultimate punishment if the three players were found guilty.

"If it is true and they have been found (guilty of) match-fixing and throwing games and spot-betting with the no-balls and stuff, if that's the case they should be thrown out," Warne told reporters. "It's as simple as that."

Former England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher also adopted a hard line, writing in The Guardian newspaper that life bans were the only way to send a clear message to players who compromised the integrity of the sport.

"We must be ruthless and put the fear of God into people. Even the smallest transgression must mean that a career is over," he said.

TOI

Saina slips to third place in world rankings Read more: Saina slips to third place in world rankings

NEW DELHI: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal on Thursday slipped one place from her career-best position of world number two to the third place in the latest international rankings release on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Saina had made a meteoric rise following her back-to-back title triumphs at the India Open Grand Prix, Singapore Open Super Series and Indonesian Open Super Series to reach the world number two spot.

But a quarterfinal finish at the recently-concluded World badminton Championship in Paris left her one place down the rung at the third position.

Saina has 64791.2637 points, while Xin Wang of China rose to the second spot after finishing second in the World Championship in women's singles. Compatriot Yihan Wang is still the number one in the ranking.

In March, Saina had attained the fifth position after becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the prestigious All England Super Series Championships.

However, she dropped to the sixth position in the subsequent weeks.

Saina's next engagement will be the all-important Commonwealth Games in Delhi from October 3 to 14, before playing the Asian Games in November.

In the men's ranking, the Indian trio of Chetan Anand, P Kashyap and Arvind Bhatt were at 17th, 29th and 31th spot respectively, while mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju were at the 13th place.

TOI

4 wrestlers, shotputter in CWG squad fail dope test Read more: 4 wrestlers, shotputter in CWG squad fail dope test - Top Stories - Commonwealth Games

BANGALORE: In a major embarrassment for the country ahead of the Commonwealth Games, eight Indian sportspersons, including five who were selected for the event, have tested positive for a banned substance.

Heading the list of the tainted is Olympian wrestler Rajiv Tomar, who was being seen as a bright prospect for a Commonwealth gold medal and had received the Arjuna Award barely five days ago.

Among the dope offenders, six are wrestlers and two athletes. Of them, four wrestlers and Sourabh Vij of Delhi had been named in the national squads for the Games.

The drug they tested positive for was methylhexaneamine, a stimulant in the non-specified category, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2010. Intended to be a nasal decongestant, it is being marketed as a dietary supplement and a party pill.

Days earlier, another CWG probable, netball player Megha Chaudhary, tested positive for steroids. The wrestlers' urine samples were collected by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials during the selection trials at Sonepat last month.

Tomar, who won the gold in the 120kg category in the Commonwealth championship in Jalandhar in December 2009 before following it up with another gold at an international meet in Madrid in July, was seen as a "sure shot" medal prospect at the Commonwealth Games next month. Now, he may be forced to watch the action from the sidelines, having been slapped with a provisional suspension pending a 'B' sample test and inquiry by the anti-doping disciplinary panel.

Shotputter Sourabh Vij tested positive for the drug at the inter-state athletics meet in Patiala last month, as did discus thrower Akash Antil of Haryana. "They are provisionally suspended with immediate effect pending inquiry," Ravinder Chaudhry, officiating secretary of Athletics Federation of India, said.

Wrestling has been the worst affected by the NADA crackdown in which eight Indian sportspersons have tested positive for a banned substance, methylhexaneamine.

Besides gold medal hope Rajiv Tomar, three others headed for the Games - Sumit (74kg) and Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Gursharanpreet Kaur (women's 72kg) - tested positive. The other two grapplers who failed the dope test are Rahul Mann (60kg) and Joginder Kumar (120kg), gold and silver medallists, respectively, at the Commonwealth Championships last year. Joginder, along with Mausam, had been selected for the senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Moscow from October 6 to 12.

The positive tests have emerged only in the freestyle category. All Greco-Roman wrestlers tested negative. In fact, in the freestyle category, Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar (66kg), Anil Kumar (55kg), Yogeshwar Dutt (55kg) and Anuj Kumar (84kg), who are part of the squad, also emerged clean.

The orders for provisional suspension, issued on Wednesday, forced the Wrestling Federation of India to name replacements for the Commonwealth Games. They include Narsingh Pancham Yadav (74kg), Anil Mann (96kg) and Praveen (120kg) as well as Anshu Tomar (72kg; women).

When contacted, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar confirmed the positive tests. "It is unfortunate, but we are bound by WADA rules and have to take stringent action. We have issued the provisional suspensions as per WADA rules."

WFI president G S Mander said he was "surprised and shocked" by the positive dope tests. "Our wrestlers are clean and have been undergoing periodic dope tests. This is thoroughly disappointing," he told TOI.

Asked whether the wrestlers would opt for a 'B' sample test, he said: "The law will take its course. It all depends on the wrestlers whether they want a 'B' sample test in a different laboratory. But we would like to get to the bottom of this affair."

Mander was not willing to comment on whether contaminated dietary supplements could have led to the positive dope tests. "I am no expert. SAI deals with that, and we are confident the wrestlers were being provided with the best stuff. However, from what I hear, this drug is available over the counter."

TOI