Salman apologises to Afridi for spot-fixing involvement

PTI, Karachi: Pakistan’s disgraced cricketer Salman Butt has tendered a personal apology to his former captain Shahid Afridi when they crossed paths at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. According to an eye witness’s account Butt, who was the Test captain in England in 2010 when the spot-fixing scandal broke out, approached Afridi on Thursday evening at the NCA where the Zimbabwe-bound Pakistan squad is presently training.
“Butt, who is coming to the NCA to train, went up to Afridi in the presence of some other players and with tears in his eyes apologised to him,” one witness said.
“Butt told Afridi he was sorry for what had happened in England and that he should have listened to his (Afridi’s) advice. He asked the Pakistan T20I captain to forgive him for his role in the spot-fixing scandal. Afridi kept quiet and then, obviously embarrassed by the situation, mumbled to Butt that he should focus on his cricket.”
Butt, along with teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, was banned for five years by the ICC for the spot fixing scandal and also served time in jail in the United Kingdom.
The five-year bans on the trio expired on September 1 and the ICC said they could return to playing cricket but the PCB has announced a reintegration and rehabilitation program for the three which they have to accomplish to qualify to play first class cricket.

 

 

Salman apologises to Afridi for spot-fixing involvement

PTI, Karachi: Pakistans disgraced cricketer Salman Butt has tendered a personal apology to his former captain Shahid Afridi when they crossed paths at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. According to an eye witnesss account Butt, who was the Test captain in England in 2010 when the spot-fixing scandal broke out, approached Afridi on Thursday evening at the NCA where the Zimbabwe-bound Pakistan squad is presently training. Butt, who is coming to the NCA to train, went up to Afridi in the presence of some other players and with tears in his eyes apologised to him, one witness said. Butt told Afridi he was sorry for what had happened in England and that he should have listened to his (Afridis) advice. He asked the Pakistan T20I captain to forgive him for his role in the spot-fixing scandal. Afridi kept quiet and then, obviously embarrassed by the situation, mumbled to Butt that he should focus on his cricket. Butt, along with teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, was banned for five years by the ICC for the spot fixing scandal and also served time in jail in the United Kingdom. The five-year bans on the trio expired on September 1 and the ICC said they could return to playing cricket but the PCB has announced a reintegration and rehabilitation program for the three which they have to accomplish to qualify to play first class cricket.