Imran Khan hurt at jail sentence

Former Pakistan cricket skipper Imran Khan said on Thursday that he was distressed to hear the news of Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer being sentenced for fixing parts of a Test match again England. Pakistan former test cricket skipper Butt, 27, received 30 months, fast blower Asif, 28, received one year jail and 19-years-old was jailed for six months. Butt and Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord’s Test in August as part of a “spot-fixing” betting scam disclosed by Rupert Murdoch’s now-obsolete News of the world. Aamer and players’ agent Mazhar Majeed, expelled for 32 months, had already been pleaded guilty of involvement in the cheating. Khan said,”It’s hurting to listen to the news as a former Pakistan cricketer and I feel sorry for their families,” Khan, who was on a political meeting here, told AFP. “In a way I feel sorry for these cricketers because they are from Pakistan where there are huge corruption cases against president (Asif Zardari) and they must have thought crime pays,” said Khan, who’s presently in the saddle of his political party ─ Tehrik-e-Insaaf (Movement of Justice). Khan said the punishments are a warning call for Pakistan cricket. “The verdict is wake-up call for Pakistan cricket and from now on we should be much careful and, like we did in the past, should never allow the corruption to happen,” said Khan, who led Pakistan to their only world cup victory in 1992. Khan criticized the past cricket boards for sweeping the matter under the carpet.