Stop misleading the public: ICC tells Asif, Butt

With the CAS recently dismissing the appeals of Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, the ICC today asked the two banned Pakistan cricketers to stop "misleading the public" and accept their punishment for involvement in a spot-fixing controversy.
"The time has now come for them to stop misleading the members of the public, especially the supporters of the Pakistan cricket team, and to publicly accept their parts in this corrupt conspiracy," ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said in a statement.
The ICC was reacting after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released its written decisions relating to Asif and Butt -- both had been banned in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal following the Lord's Test against England.

"The ICC has now had the opportunity to read and review the written decisions of the CAS, which recently dismissed the appeals of Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt in their entirety, and upheld the earlier decisions of the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal, announced in February 2011.
"We are pleased to note that the CAS panel rejected each and every one of the allegations that were made of prosecutorial misconduct by the ICC, and bias and incompetence on the part of the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal, thereby reinforcing that the players were treated fairly and in accordance with the principles of natural justice at all times."

Richardson said the guilt of the cricketers has now been established on three separate occasions.
"In addition to the CAS finding Mr Asif a party to the conspiracy to act corruptly, it is also pleasing to note from the decisions that Mr Butt acknowledged his part in the fix before the CAS panel.
"The guilt of these men has now been established on three separate occasions, in three separate sets of proceedings, and in three separate forums -- first, before the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal, then in the English criminal courts, and now, finally, before the ultimate appeal body in sport, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.