da 888： The PCB is set to chalk out a rehabilitation programme for Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, as part of their reintegration into the cricketing community
da bwin： Umar Farooq25-Aug-20150:54
‘Focus is on scoring runs’ – Salman Butt
The PCB is set to chalk out a rehabilitation programme for Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, as part of their reintegration into the cricketing community. The two, whose ban for spot-fixing lifts on September 2, will be required to take part in an anti-corruption educational programme, have sessions with a psychologist, and ply their trade in grade cricket for a start. ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the PCB will make the programme public next week.The Pakistan board has accepted the ICC’s decision to lift the ban imposed on Asif and Butt at the earliest possible, but they will not be allowed to take part in the domestic T20 cup in Rawalpindi next month, it said. Instead, they will have to start at the bottom and prove their form and fitness before making it to higher levels of the game.As part of the educational programme, the pair will have to visit all domestic regions, across four provinces, and spread awareness on corruption issues. They will lecture the players, coaches, and officials at the domestic level on anti-corruption.PCB schedule for Butt, Amir and Asif rehabilitation
26th Aug. – 1st Sept: Amir, Asif and Butt to work with PCB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department in preparing lectures to be delivered to the players.
2nd Sept. – 30th Oct Amir, Asif and Butt to deliver lectures in 16 regions.
2nd Sept onwards: Asif and Butt to start playing district level and club cricket.
2nd Sept onwards: Amir, Asif and Butt to practice regularly at National Cricket Academy, except when Pakistan national players practice, to avoid any untoward incident. Players will be able to use the NCA at will once the rehabilitation programme is completed.
2nd Sept onwards: All three players to maintain fitness and achieve levels of 11 in the bleep test for three consecutive months – September, October and November. This should be conducted under the supervision of the NCA specialist staff, who will submit their report to PCB.
5th Sept. – 31st Dec: All three players to pay regular visits to Edhi homes, orphanages and places like Army Public School Peshawar in order to publicly contribute towards social responsibility obligations.
5th Sept. 2015 – 28th Feb. 2016: All three players to have integration sessions with bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed and Pakistan team members in order to foster better relations in the dressing room in first-class or international engagements. The players should have an apologetic attitude towards their fellow players, selectors and other stakeholders as a sign of sincere remorse.
15th Sept onwards: Asif and Butt to attend sessions with a psychologist spread over two days to prepare themselves to deal with pressures on their return.
“ICC requires us to put these boys under a programme in which they address the players and lecture them on anti-corruption,” Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. “They should tell the players at all levels about their misconduct and the disgrace they brought into cricket. Meanwhile, we are allowing them to play club cricket and grade 2 cricket, the same policy we adopted with Amir.”They also have to see psychologist, and by playing grade 2 cricket have to prove their ability and fitness. They can’t assume they will pick up where they left off five years ago. After all, they haven’t played cricket for last five years. We have to see many factors, including how age has affected them. At the moment they cannot walk back into contention for top cricket, they have to prove their ability to make their way into first-class cricket.”Amid legal rumblings, the PCB can’t hold the players back from playing once the ICC’s ban lifts on September 2, but they can be restricted to lower levels of the game while they prove their form and complete their rehabilitation programme, which could take several months. Butt, who will turn 31 in October, and Asif, who will be 33 this December, were set to represent Lahore Blue in the upcoming national T20 cup.”We will tell the region too they cannot play until they prove their ability at the low level,” Khan said. “They can’t be allowed to play any national championship but can only be allowed to play the second-class cricket. They can’t walk back in the system with the reputation they had five years ago.”The point to understand is the public must accept them, and more importantly the other present players – many players expressed to us that they will not play with them. So this rehabilitation will eventually help them to be accepted in the dressing room and in the public. We have been in disgrace these last many years, and it’s a big stigma on Pakistan cricket.”Butt, Asif and Mohammad Amir were banned for 10 (five years suspended), seven (two years suspended) and five years respectively, after an ICC tribunal found them guilty of spot-fixing in a case stemming from the 2010 Lord’s Test. The possible reduction in the penalty came on the condition that Asif and Butt would commit no further breach of the anti-corruption code and participate in a PCB-controlled anti-corruption education programme.The ICC ACSU official met both the players to assess how both have changed over the last five years – in which they could not engage in any kind of cricket activity. The details of the meeting haven’t been disclosed, but the ICC has confirmed it has decided against activating the additional suspended years.After a series of appeals against their suspensions and long periods of maintaining that they are innocent, the duo finally issued public apologies and said they were available to undergo educational programmes. The PCB, though, it is understood, denied them access to educational programmes for more than two years, but now after the ICC’s clearance it is offering it to them.Amir, who had pleaded guilty to spot-fixing at a very early stage, was allowed to return to domestic cricket in January this year, given his remorse and cooperation with the authorities. He will play in the upcoming T20 cup for Rawalpindi. He has already completed his rehabilitation programme by featuring in various educational ventures, including the ICC’s anti-corruption video. His return might have been fast-tracked, but he too was made to play club and grade 2 cricket before making his way into major competitive cricket.
