PCB chairman hooted by cricket fans at airport in Lahore
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt was on Wednesday hooted and jeered by angry fans when the veteran administrator landed in the country for the first time since the spot-fixing scandal shocked the world cricket. As soon as Butt came out of the airport terminal, fans raised slogan against him and shouted 'Shame Shame', expressing their anger over the alleged betting scam which hit the image of the country globally.
Butt, who was in London since the expose, was his usual secretive and defensive self, refusing to give out any new details on the ongoing investigations into the scandal involving Test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Aamir and Muhammed Asif.
But he did say that if any player is found guilty of fixing matches, he would be dealt with severely.
"Right now the PCB can't take any action against the players because the ICC anti-corruption unit is carrying out an inquiry into this matter. But if any player is found guilty he will not be spared," he said.
"Even the police interrogated them for nine hours but let them go without pressing any charges. So we are also waiting for the ICC and Scotland Yard to come up with their findings into this matter," he added.
Butt said the PCB had filed detailed replies to the charge-sheets issued to the players by the ICC but the world governing body wanted the players to respond themselves.
"We had given the ICC a detailed reply to the charge-sheets sent to the players but the ICC said the players themselves must answer the charge-sheet," he said.
Butt was evasive when asked about reports that the ICC was also investigating the Sydney Test between Pakistan and Australia.
"I think we shouldn't be talking about such old issues we need to focus on this current problem and hope it is resolved soon," he added.