Pakistan Cricketers Convicted in Corruption Scandal

Strategic Insights -

Eleven years after the last major scandal in international cricket, two Pakistani players have been convicted of fixing parts of a test match. Former captain Salman Butt and bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. The convictions mark the most serious corruption scandal to hit the sport in over a decade.

Key Takeaways:

  • Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments.
  • Bowler Mohammad Asif was also found guilty of conspiracy to cheat.
  • The convictions are related to a test match against England in August 2010, where three intentional no-balls were conspired and delivered.
  • The players allegedly conspired with sports agent Mazhar Majeed to ensure the no-balls, with Majeed secretly filmed accepting $242,000 in cash from an undercover reporter.
  • Former player Mohammad Amir was previously punished by an International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal for his involvement in the scandal.

Statistics:

  • 7 years: potential prison sentence for Salman Butt.
  • 2 years: potential prison sentence for the charge of conspiracy to cheat.
  • 2010: year in which the test match against England took place.
  • 16 hours: time the jury spent discussing its verdicts.
  • 10-2: majority verdict required for the charge against Asif.
  • 12: number of jurors that found the pair guilty of conspiracy to cheat.

Sources:

  • Associated Press
  • 2011 Toronto Star