Ejaz Butt meets Sharad Pawar, wants ties with India resumed

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt Thursday appealed to International Cricket Council (ICC) president Sharad Pawar for the resumption of cricket ties with India and also assured him that his board will not ask for leniency for the three suspended Pakistani cricketers if they are found guilty of spot-fixing.

After meeting Pawar, a former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, at his residence here, Butt said India should come and play in Pakistan. “I expressed my desire to Sharad Pawar that India should come and play in Pakistan,” said Butt. Pawar said, “I will be happy if Pakistan get to play more international matches.”

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, who was also in New Delhi, said he was clueless about the meeting and does not know anything about the PCB’s request on resumption of ties. “I was not in the meeting, so I don’t know anything about it,” said Srinivasan, who is staying in the same hotel as Butt.

Butt assured Pawar that the PCB will not interfere in the investigations of the ICC or the Scotland Yard in the spot-fixing scandal, involving Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammed Aamer.

All three have been suspended provisionally by the ICC. “The players’ issue was discussed. Unless the investigation is complete, we will not comment. As far as I know, the players cannot play unless their suspension is lifted. If the players, including Aamer, are found guilty, we won’t tolerate any corruption. I am part of the ICC and will stick by its code of conduct,” Butt said.
Pawar concurred with Butt on zero tolerance to corruption. “The PCB is a part of the ICC. We will take a collective decision on spot-fixing. If someone has done wrong, he will be punished,” he said.

Pawar also rubbished media reports of Aamer turning an approver or informant to escape punishment. “The Scotland Yard is in the process of investigation. How can we comment unless the investigation is over?