Former captain Salman Butt insists a London ice cream parlor could help clear him of “spot--fixing” allegations made as part of the corruption scandal surrounding the Pakistan cricket team.
Butt said thousands of pounds discovered in his London hotel room after a “sting operation” conducted by Britain’s News of the World tabloid came from daily tour allowances, bat sponsorship and the ice cream parlor opening.
His explanation is set to form part of his defense at a make-or-break disciplinary hearing, in Doha, Qatar, next month.
Butt was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following allegations he and colleagues conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s in August.
Fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were suspended on the same allegations.
Butt had only been captain of the side for less than two months, following Shahid Afridi’s resignation when he was implicated in the scandal.
He set out his case in a lengthy interview in Lahore to a Special Report on British-based satellite station Sky Sports News broadcast on Monday.
Sky put a figure of ￡29,000 (US$46,000) to him as the amount found in his room.
“Everybody knows the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board] pays us daily allowances on tours and it was a long tour, so about ￡11,000 of this money was from my daily allowances,” he said.
“Being captain I have extra entertainment allowance, which amounts to about ￡4,500 from the tour — which I had with me,” the 26-year-old opening batsman added. “The rest of the money was advanced payment for my bat stickers which I was under contract by Capital Cricket which shows on the back of my bat. People can have their opinions, but I know where the money came from.”
Pressed on whether the money was “clean,” Butt added: “Of course, 100 percent. ￡2,500 was given to me for the opening of an ice cream parlor in Tooting [south London]. As you guys [Sky] are from England you can go there any time to Tooting. I believe the name is Afters and the manager, the people working over there, they will tell you that I had to do the opening of the ice cream parlor along with Mohammad Aamer. And that’s what we were paid for.”
Butt insisted there was no way as a novice skipper he could have improperly influenced Aamer and Asif.
“These kind of people do not let others decide their roles,” he said.
Butt, Asif and Aamer have been suspended until the ICC hearing in Doha on Jan. 6.
“I know inside what I am made of, where I have come from and how I have played my cricket and believe me it has been a lot of passion throughout my life … the love of the game has brought me there. And that love is bigger than anything, any corrupt thing which exists. So I believe, inshallah [god willing], that I will be back playing for my country again,” Butt said.
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