PCB doesn't want to see banned trio bankrupt

Well-placed sources in the board told PTI that there was a sigh of relief in the PCB over the fact that former Test captain Butt had been allowed to take up a job as a cricket pundit with a private television channel by the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption tribunal.

"The feeling is that the banned players must have a way of sustaining themselves financially during their ban as they can't be expected to survive without working somewhere," one source said.

"Although the ICC had directly handled the issue of Butt working for the channel five as cricket expert on the World Cup matches and contacted the anti-corruption tribunal for clarification but the PCB is happy to know the tribunal has no objections to him working," the source added.

The trio, banned from taking part in any cricket match or activity held under the umbrella of the ICC or its affiliated members, can do private jobs even related to cricket. The three were banned on charges of spot-fixing during the tour to England last year and they face accusations of taking bribes and trying to defraud bookmakers in the United Kingdom.

The source also clarified that the board had nothing to do with the National Bank releasing the trio from their payroll. "I think the bank took this decision because it had employed the three to basically play cricket for them in domestic cricket and when they can't do this during the period of their bans it was obvious the bank has no use for them. But the PCB had nothing to do with the bank decision," the source stated.

The source also disclosed that the PCB would decide within a week on releasing outstanding payments to the three players as part of their fees as the anti-corruption tribunal had not penalised them financially.