Salman Butt, Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Asif Sentenced 30-month, 6-month and 12-month Jail Terms Today

LONDON (Nov 03) – Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and two of his teammates, pacers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir, were today sentenced jail terms from 6 months to 30 months after being found guilty of spot-fixing, making them the first cricketers ever to be imprisoned for corruption.

Salman Butt (L) and Muhammad Aisf (R) Facing Possible Jail Term after Found Guilty in Spot-fixing Case

Butt was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif was handed a one-year term, while the 19-year-old Amir was sentenced to six months of prison time by the Southwark Crown Court here.


Reported earlier today ....


Three of Pakistani cricketers, involved in the most serious sports’ corruption scandal in more than a decade, will know their fate today (Thursday, Nov. 03) as the court finished hearing yesterday.

Former Pakistani test captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir were found guilty of spot fixing during a test match against England in 2010. Aisf and Amir bowled deliberate no-balls during the match on the stipulated timings set by so-called sports’ agent Mazhar Majeed, who pleaded guilty to the charges before the trial along with Muhammad Amir.

Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif have continuously been denying the allegations of spot-fixing, but both were found guilty on Tuesday of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. Now they are facing possible 7-year jail term.

On Wednesday, Judge Jeremy Cooke spent the day in court listening the final explanatory statements from the lawyers of all three cricketers on behalf of players. Cooke will consider the case overnight before delivering his final verdict about sentences at London's Southwark Crown Court at 10 a.m. local time Thursday.

Salman Butt had not eaten or slept for 24 hours since his guilty verdict was handed down on Tuesday, an hour after his second son was born in Pakistan, said his lawyer Ali Bajwa. In his final statement Butt plead to the judge not to send him to jail because he didn't want his family to suffer any more.  

The apologetic final statement of 19-year-old Muhammad Amir read out by his lawyer Henry Blaxland, in which he said sorry to Pakistani nation and all cricketing fans for damaging the repute of the game due to his own stupidity. According to his statement, he never wanted the money for his act but he was trapped and done the wrongful due to his own silliness.

In the end Muhammad Asif's lawyer, Alexander Milne, said his client was now "a broken man" who was dishonored in his homeland and should have the chance to go back home and set about fixing his humiliated status.