Spot-fixing Trial – Haroon Lorgat says verdict won’t change ICC bans

ICC News: ICC officially responds to jury’s verdict >

ICC, in its first official response to the verdicts announced by the jury at Southwark Crown Court, has said that these will not have any impact on the length of suspensions handed to Butt, Asif and Amir. Amir had already pleaded guilty, while Asif and Butt were charged with the charges of conspiring to cheat and conspiring to obtain and accept illegal money.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said: "These outcomes appear to be consistent with the findings of the independent anti-corruption tribunal which was appointed earlier this year to hear charges brought against the three players by the ICC under our own Anti-Corruption Code. To be clear, the developments in the English criminal courts will have no impact upon those periods of suspension, which will remain in full force and effect.”
 
He further added: "The ICC takes no pleasure from the fact that these players stepped outside not only the laws of the game but also the criminal laws of the country in which they were participating. In addition to constituting offences under the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code, for which sporting sanctions have been imposed, such conduct has now been shown to constitute criminal behaviour for which serious criminal sanctions can also be imposed."

He concluded that: "but we hope that this verdict is seen as a further warning to any individual who might, for whatever reason, be tempted to engage in corrupt activity within our sport.”

The trio was accused of bowling pre-determined no-balls in the Lord's Test in August 2010, in allegedly criminal association with their Mazhar Majeed.