SENTENCED

London, November 3: Three former Pakistan Inernational cricketers and agent Majeed were handed jail sentences for taking bribes, here at Southwark Crown Court.

 Butt was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif was handed a one-year term, while the 19-year-old Aamer was sentenced to six months in the young offenders' detention centre instead of jail. The cicketers must serve half of their sentences before release on licence.

"The [essence] of the offences committed by all four of you is the corruption in which you engaged was in a pastime the very name of which used to be associated with fair dealing on the sporting field," said the judge. "'It's not cricket' was an adage."

"These offences, regardless of pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice to mark the nature of the crimes and to deter any other cricketer, agent or anyone else who considers corrupt activity of this kind, with its hugely detrimental impact on the lives of many who look to find good honest entertainment and good-hearted enjoyment from following an honest, albeit professional sport."

Salman Butt, the Pakistan captain during that Test and was described by Mr Justice Cooke as "the orchestrator of this activity".  "As captain you influenced Aamer at an age when he was just 18. Aamer is a talented bowler, it was hard for him to resist as you were the captain. As captain you have perpetuated corruption. You did terrible things, it is bad for cricket and bad for your country," he said.

"But you have been good to your family so you have been sentenced to a 30 months imprisonment." 

The Judge said a lighter punishment for Aamer is seteled as he had pleaded guilty. "You have already accepted your responsibility for whatever you have done and also you come from a rural background and you were just 18 at that time. I am considering all that and I sentence you for six months, otherwise, it would have been nine months," he said. 

To Asif, Cooke said: "Whilst no money was found in your possession, it's clear that you conspired to bowl a no-ball. There's no evidence on your part of prior fixing but it's hard to see that this could have been an isolated incident."