KARACHI: Disgraced Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif yesterday apologised for his role in a notorious 2010 spot-fixing scandal, admitting his guilt for the first time and accepting a five-year ban.
The 30-year-old is the last of three players to come out with a confession, after team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer admitted their part and presented themselves for rehabilitation.
Asif, pace partner Aamer and then-captain Butt were banned for contriving deliberate no-balls in return for money during the Lord’s Test against England in 2010.
A year later an anti-corruption tribunal of the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Butt for 10 years, with five suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended and Aamer for five years.
The tribunal had made confession, apology and rehabilitation mandatory to avoid the suspended portion of the ban.
“I accept the punishment from the ICC tribunal in 2011,” Asif said at a news conference.
“I apologise for my actions that have brought disrespect to my beloved country, to the millions of fans in Pakistan and in the world.”
The trio and their agent Mazhar Majeed were also jailed by an English court over the affair in 2011. The players were released last year. Asif said he felt sorry for his repeated mistakes.
“When I look back at the events of my career, I feel very sorry,” he said.
Asif warned future players to avoid the pitfalls of fixing.
“I request to all the players who want to represent their countries that they must keep away from all sorts of corruption,” he said yesterday. AFP
