Karachi: Former captain Salman Butt has called for an open trial against him in Pakistan saying he didn`t get justice in a cricket corruption case which led to a lengthy ban and jail time.
The 27-year-old was found guilty by both the game`s governing body and a British court of orchestrating deliberate no-balls through two of his bowlers during the 2010 Lord`s Test against England, in return for money.
The deal was organised between Butt`s agent Mazhar Majeed and an undercover reporter for the now defunct News of the World, in a sting operation which exposed corruption in international cricket.
All three players were banned for a minimum of five years by the International Cricket Council and were subsequently convicted and jailed by a British court for corruption.
Butt, who was the last of the three released from the UK prison last week after serving less than a quarter of his 30 month sentence, protested his innocence.
"If you look at the evidence you can judge that I didn`t get justice," Butt said in his first television interview since the affair, which aired on private channel Express News Thursday night.
"I had to make a sacrifice because I didn`t take anyone`s name, it didn`t suit me. It`s not about me or anyone else, it`s about Pakistan. I would like Pakistani courts, the Supreme Court, to hold an open trial and I am sure they will clear me.
"I don`t accept anything against me. If you look at the evidence against me, I had no links to spot-fixing. Who did and who planned it (I don`t know), but certainly I didn`t do that. I played for my country and respected that (honour)."
When asked about the discovery in his hotel room of notes marked by the News of the World, Butt replied: "Yes there were 4,500 pounds and that was my money. I had to inaugurate an ice cream parlour and got 2,500 pounds (from Majeed) in advance.
"I didn`t know that he had paid me notes which were marked. That was my money and that`s why I got them back (when I was released) and I have receipt of all that."
Butt said the welcome he received in Lahore suggested people still loved him.
"It was an unexpected welcome. People showed they still love me. I wasn`t expecting it because I was coming from such a place," said Butt of the welcome in Lahore last week.
He also vowed to represent Pakistan again.
BDST: 2007 HRS, June 29, 2012
Edited by
Chanchal Ghosh, Newsroom Editor
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