Asif, Butt off to prove innocence

KARACHI: Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif left for Switzerland Tuesday to fight to overturn bans imposed two years ago for spot-fixing.

Captain Butt and fast bowlers Asif and Mohammad Aamer were banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for contriving to bowl deliberate no-balls
during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended and the then teenager Aamer for five years.

The trio was also jailed by a British court over the scandal in November 2011. All three were released last year after completing half of their sentences.

Aamer, now 20, decided not to pursue his appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after pleading guilty to the charges in Britain.(AFP)