PCB might sue ICC if tainted trio found innocent

Karachi (PTI) - Miffed with the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit’s handling of the ‘spot-fixing’ scandal involving Salman Butt Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, the Pakistan Cricket Board might sue the ACSU if the players are found innocent.

The PCB’s senior legal advisor Talib Rizvi told PTI that if the players were eventually found innocent, then the PCB would consider taking legal action against the ICC and other bodies involved in making the allegations and conducting the inquiry against the players.

“I just want to be clear the PCB will consider legal action against the ICC and other bodies if our players are found innocent because we feel the ICC has bypassed some of its own procedures in suspending the players and and overall in this case,” Rizvi said.

He also emphasised that at the moment there was no criminal investigation going on against the three players.

“It is just a preliminary inquiry and nothing more. They are being questioned. No investigations have been held,” he added.

Rizvi, who also represented the PCB in the appellate tribunal during the hearing of the appeals of players against their bans and fines this year, claimed that so far the ICC had not shown any evidence against the three players.

“Even today at the press conference the ICC and ACSU were asked about the evidence or charges against our players but they gave no details. So we want to know the reasons for suspending the players.”

Talib’s son, Tafazzul Rizvi is also in London as the board’s legal advisor and is closely involved in the ongoing inquiry by the Scotland Yard.

He accompanied the three players yesterday to the Kilburn police station where they were summoned for detailed questioning.

Sources close to the PCB said that until now even Tafazzul Rizvi had not been given any concrete evidence on basis of which the ICC decided to suspend Butt, Asif and Aamir.

Talib said it was too early to say when the inquiry would end or when Scotland Yard would give a detailed report.

“We just feel that the suspension of our players is a bit harsh in the circumstances,” he added.