ECB demands apology from PCB chief Butt

“We’re looking for an apology. If it doesn’t come we’ll look at other options,” said ECB CEO David Collier.

“Clearly we’ll seek advice but there are quite strong laws of defamation. You can’t impugn someone’s integrity without having proper evidence. To date I can say that we’ve received zero evidence of anything having influenced any England player,” he added.

Butt had told an Indian news channel that he had heard from bookmakers that England players had taken bribes to lose last Friday’s Oval ODI.

“There is loud and clear talk in bookie circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose.

No wonder there was total collapse of the English side,” Butt had said during an interview to the channel.

The ECB had earlier termed Butt’s remarks against the England cricket team as “wholly irresponsible and completely without foundation”.

“The team deplores and rejects unreservedly the suggestion that any England cricketers were involved in manipulating the outcome,or any individual element,of the third NatWest Series ODI at the Brit Insurance Oval between England and Pakistan last week,” read the statement which was issued on behalf of the England team.

“The players fully understand their responsibilities as representatives of their country,and would not countenance giving less than 100 percent in any match they play,” it further added.

The statement was issued after a lengthy meeting between the ECB and the England team.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke,Collier,managing director of England Cricket Hugh Morris,England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andrew Flower were present during the meeting. A subsequent meeting was then held with the entire England team.

However,the ECB and the England team added that they are committed to continuing with the current NatWest Series against Pakistan.

“It remains in the best interests of world cricket,the players and in particular of cricket supporters that the tour should continue,and it would set a dangerous precedent to call off a tour based on the misguided and inaccurate remarks made by one individual.” The ECB,meanwhile,continued to offer the International Cricket Council (ICC) full support in taking the strongest possible action against all areas of corruption and pledged to offer the ACSU its full support at all times.

Expressing surprise at at Butt’s remarks,Strauss said,“We would like to express our surprise,dismay and outrage at the comments made by Mr Butt. We are deeply concerned and disappointed that our integrity as cricketers has been brought into question.

“We refute these allegations completely and will be working closely with the ECB to explore all legal options open to us.” “Under the circumstances,we have strong misgivings about continuing to play the last two games of the current series and urge the Pakistani team and management to distance themselves from Butt’s allegations,” the England skipper added.

“We do,however,recognise our responsibilities to the game of cricket,and in particular to the cricket-loving public in this country,and will therefore endeavour to fulfill these fixtures to the best of our ability.”

Pak Sports Minister warns PCB of severe action

Meanwhile,the Pakistan government has decided to take severe action against cricketers found guilty in the match-fixing scandal.

Acknowledging shortcomings in the workings of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani warned the board of strict action if it is proved that the scandal resulted from negligences on its part.

“It is high time the PCB’s management improved its performance and removed all its weaknesses. The management will have to face strict action if its flaws are proved though such action is subject to the findings of the Scotland Yard,” Jakhrani said.

Scotland Yard,investigating the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the cricket world,has handed over its findings to the Crown Prosecution,and the final report is awaited.

Acting on a suggestion from Labour Minister Syed Khurshid Shah,the Deputy Speaker allowed the House to discuss the issue and said that action should be taken against players involved in fixing matches.

Referring to the proposal for promulgating the PCB’s constitution,Jakhrani said that the draft is almost ready and was scheduled to be discussed in August but got delayed due to the devastating flood that swept the country.

The move will now be revived and the final draft will be sent to the law ministry for vetting.