Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt said on Wednesday he was withdrawing comments alleging England players had ‘thrown’ this month’s third one-day international at The Oval.
Butt had claimed England players were paid “enormous amounts of money” to lose The Oval match in a series the hosts ultimately won 3-2.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) threatened legal action in response unless Butt “unreservedly” apologised for remarks he said at the time were merely a case of him repeating something he’d heard from bookmakers.
And after a meeting with ECB counterpart Giles Clarke here on Wednesday, England got the apology they wanted for what Butt said was a “misunderstanding”, with the ECB now declaring the matter “closed”.
Butt, in a joint ECB/PCB statement, said: “I wish personally and on behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board to withdraw the comments I made concerning the England and Wales Cricket Board and each of the England players who played in the one-day international at The Oval on Friday 17 September.
“It is regrettable that there was a misunderstanding arising from my comments,” he added.
“I would like to make it quite clear that in the statements which I made that I never intended to question the behaviour and integrity of the England players nor the ECB nor to suggest that any of them were involved in any corrupt practices or in a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket.
“In particular, I wish to make it clear that I have never seen any evidence of any wrong doing by any England player or the ECB at any time.
“I deeply and sincerely regret that my statements have been interpreted to cast doubt upon the good names of the England players and the ECB and hope that this public withdrawal will draw a line under the matter.”
Butt’s comments were viewed as a snub to the ECB and in particular Clarke, chairman of the International Cricket Council’s Pakistan task team.
England had ‘helped out’ Pakistan by agreeing to stage their ‘home’ series against Australia in England shortly before matches against their own teams.
International cricket in Pakistan came to a standstill following an armed attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore last year.
“The ECB and its chairman have been and continue to be a friend of and hugely supportive of Pakistan cricket,” Butt’s statement added.
“I am very grateful for their efforts in that regard and for their hospitality this summer.
“We at the PCB, like all other cricket governing bodies, are committed to a zero tolerance policy to corruption in the game and will continue to work hard with the relevant authorities to eradicate it.”
In response, the ECB said they and “the England players who played at the Brit Oval warmly welcome this withdrawal and now regard the matter closed”.
They added Clarke would continue as the ICC Pakistan task team chairman.
Pakistan’s tour was overshadowed by ‘spot-fixing’ allegations.
Salman Butt, the Pakistan Test captain, together with fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, was banned by the ICC after allegations made by Britain’s News of the World (NoW) tabloid that they’d been involved in a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls during last month’s Test against England at Lord’s as part of a betting scam.
The claims have since become the subject of a Scotland Yard investigation.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, who criticised Ijaz Butt for going public with his comments, said earlier on Wednesday that Salman Butt had exercised his right of appeal.
The ICC has yet to receive appeals from either Aamer or Asif.
Ijaz Butt’s comments were not the only claims surrounding The Oval one-dayer.
Britain’s Sun, the daily ‘sister’ paper of the NoW, alleged the scoring pattern of Pakistan’s innings in the match was pre-arranged with bookmakers, prompting a separate and ongoing ICC investigation.
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