CHIEF executive Haroon Lorgat insists the International Cricket Council (ICC) will deal firmly with the Pakistan players facing spot-fixing charges should they be found guilty. Seamers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and previous Test captain Salman Butt will have their hearings in front of an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal in January. They are currently suspended due to charges relating to the fourth Test against England in the summer.
Lorgat told BBC Radio Five Live: “We would want to be proportional but at the same time we do not want to show any leniency. These are severe issues and integrity of the game is absolutely fundamental and we would not want to tolerate any of that in sport.”
He added: “My understanding is that any matter that we decide on in a disciplinary process is always open to contest in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
Michael Beloff QC will chair the full hearing against the trio which is scheduled for January 6-11 in Doha.
Joining Beloff on the tribunal will be fellow code of conduct commissioners Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Kenya’s Sharad Rao and Lorgat is confident of the strength of the case that has been brought by the ICC.
“I am quite satisfied with the three judges we have managed to secure,” Lorgat added.
“We’ve worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand.
“I’m confident that our guys have worked very hard in ensuring they have got a case they can present which should stand the test of scrutiny.” (PA Sport)