Mohammed Amir cleared to return with immediate effect

[Zinzan]

Haha, it has been a long day.

 

[hendrix]

Err so Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif have just played first class matches on return.

I had kinda hoped/thought they'd slink away but...hmmmm. Surely they won't ever be selected again in the national team?

 

[Bahnz]

Err so Salman Butt and Mohammed Asif have just played first class matches on return.

I had kinda hoped/thought they'd slink away but...hmmmm. Surely they won't ever be selected again in the national team?

I tend to doubt it. Butt was the ring-leader of the scam, so I doubt the PCB will want anything to do with him. Asif is 33 already, and has a long disciplinary record to go with his involvement in the spot-fixing scam.

Still, if Pakistan start losing a lot, and Asif and Butt carve up in domestix then who knows what things will look like in a couple years time...

 

[smash84]

theydid really well too on their return which might mean that if pcb turn desperate we might see them back

Salman Butt marks cricket comeback with blistering hundred - Sport - DAWN.COM

 

[_Ed_]

Amir coming back I can handle, but not those two.

 

[smash84]

tbf the arguments that apply to Amir also apply to those two

 

[cnerd123]

tbf the arguments that apply to Amir also apply to those two

To a significantly lesser extent tho. As far as we are aware, there wasn't much external pressure on them to fix and their greed was definitely the motivating factor.

 

[smash84]

To a significantly lesser extent tho. As far as we are aware, there wasn't much external pressure on them to fix and their greed was definitely the motivating factor.

I don't buy the fact that Amir was under intense pressure to bowl no balls. It could be that he was but I don't buy it. The chances to me seem slim.

If I believed his pressure bull **** then I would have agreed with you.

 

[cnerd123]

I mean I have no reason to not believe it, do I?

Why work off the assumption of guilt rather than believe the extremely belevable story?

 

[hendrix]

It's not so much the pressure as his age, and the relative seniority of the other two (Butt was the captain ffs) makes their cases much worse.

 

[smash84]

Amir was a superstar in the making, there was no way Butt could have kept him out of the team given his performances. Asif otoh was irrelevant.

 

[Grumpy]

To a significantly lesser extent tho. As far as we are aware, there wasn't much external pressure on them to fix and their greed was definitely the motivating factor.

This whole 'Amir was pressurised' argument is very exaggerated. I'm all for his comeback, but I'm under no illusion that he was a saint. If anyone actually bothered looking up to the details on this case, a lot of misconceptions would be cleared. Butt's association with fixing is only related with the whole incident with Mazhar Majeed. Amir was involved with other parties before the tour to England. He even admitted so on his interview with Michael Atherton. Amir was in touch with these shady characters longer than Butt was.

As for Asif, you can accuse him of many things, but greed is not one of them. None of the marked money ws ever found on him, and there is no evidence at all of Asif gaining any money from the no ball. The dunce was ******** enough to do it as just a favour for Butt. Sure, you can say Asif doesn't have a moral compass, but unfair to call him greedy.

But tbh, their personal ethics doesn't concern me. All 3 have served their bans and are perfectly eligible for selection. If Asif and Butt perform well in domestic, then Pak would do well to select them. Judging by the scorecard, Asif still possess his class with the ball. He's out peformed Junaid Khan in his first match back after 5 years of rustiness. If he can regain his old former form, he will serve Pak well on the tours to Eng, NZ and Aus this year. Considering Yasir will most likely be out now, it will only make the selectors more inclined to pick him.

As for Butt, he is not allowed into the UK as he accepted deportation in exchange for earlier jail release. But he could still be selected for the Australian tour. We all know how incompetent Hafeez outside the UAE. Pak need a solid opener down under, and Butt has 2 centuries there. One against McWarne and the other against Mitchell Johnson.

 

[cnerd123]

Yea I'm going to have to go back and re-read this thread plus all relevant news sources before I begin commenting on this issue again. Lots of facts and details are foggy in my mind atm.

 

[smash84]

This whole 'Amir was pressurised' argument is very exaggerated. I'm all for his comeback, but I'm under no illusion that he was a saint. If anyone actually bothered looking up to the details on this case, a lot of misconceptions would be cleared. Butt's association with fixing is only related with the whole incident with Mazhar Majeed. Amir was involved with other parties before the tour to England. He even admitted so on his interview with Michael Atherton. Amir was in touch with these shady characters longer than Butt was.

As for Asif, you can accuse him of many things, but greed is not one of them. None of the marked money ws ever found on him, and there is no evidence at all of Asif gaining any money from the no ball. The dunce was ******** enough to do it as just a favour for Butt. Sure, you can say Asif doesn't have a moral compass, but unfair to call him greedy.

But tbh, their personal ethics doesn't concern me. All 3 have served their bans and are perfectly eligible for selection. If Asif and Butt perform well in domestic, then Pak would do well to select them. Judging by the scorecard, Asif still possess his class with the ball. He's out peformed Junaid Khan in his first match back after 5 years of rustiness. If he can regain his old former form, he will serve Pak well on the tours to Eng, NZ and Aus this year. Considering Yasir will most likely be out now, it will only make the selectors more inclined to pick him.

As for Butt, he is not allowed into the UK as he accepted deportation in exchange for earlier jail release. But he could still be selected for the Australian tour. We all know how incompetent Hafeez outside the UAE. Pak need a solid opener down under, and Butt has 2 centuries there. One against McWarne and the other against Mitchell Johnson.

Some interesting points there.

What? Butt scored a century against McWarne?

Didn't McWarne retire end of 2007? And Inzy was Pakistan captain back then? I don't remember Butt playing under Inzy

 

[Grumpy]

3rd Test: Australia v Pakistan at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[smash84]

3rd Test: Australia v Pakistan at Sydney, Jan 2-5, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

oh wow, you're right. I had no idea Salmon butts had been around for so long

 

[nightprowler10]

I don't remember Butt playing under Inzy

Are you serious? You don't remember 2005 England tour to Pakistan? Butt was the MOTM in the first Test ffs. Had a match saving 100 and an incredible partnership with Inzi.

 

[smash84]

Are you serious? You don't remember 2005 England tour to Pakistan? Butt was the MOTM in the first Test ffs. Had a match saving 100 and an incredible partnership with Inzi.

Nopes, my only enduring memories of butt are his meaningless odi centuries against india, his 2010 series against aus (in england) and his spot fixing series obv.

I don't know why but i can't seem to recall Butt from much earlier than 2008-09

 

[Grumpy]

oh wow, you're right.

Of course. I'm always right.

 

[Niall]

I tend to doubt it. Butt was the ring-leader of the scam, so I doubt the PCB will want anything to do with him. Asif is 33 already, and has a long disciplinary record to go with his involvement in the spot-fixing scam.

Still, if Pakistan start losing a lot, and Asif and Butt carve up in domestix then who knows what things will look like in a couple years time...

Ok if we are to ignore the non playing stuff....

Of all the hyped Pakistani players on the sidelines most are middle order bats, Babar, Sohail,Amin, Alam etc, their is a shortage of openers so its possible Butt could open for Pakistan again especially as the tours coming up will expose the likes of Shezad and Masood horribly, any alternative will be seriously considered.

It might be a little more tricky for Asif, as the test fast bowling stocks are okish with Imran, Rahat, Amir and Riaz and he wasn't that great in white ball cricket, but when you consider the damage he did in England last time round, if a player or two was to go down and he was to tear it up domestically, he may have a small chance of a recall.