Punishment handed out to us is harsh, says disgraced Butt

Lahore, Feb 6 (PTI) Pakistan''s disgraced cricketers,Salman Butt and Mohammed Aamer returned home on Sunday afterbeing banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC)anti-corruption tribunal on corruption charges but faced noharsh reactions from the people at the airport.

The two players came out quietly from the terminalbuilding and slipped away in their waiting cars but not beforeinsisting they were innocent of the spot-fixing chargesbrought against them.

Talking to reporters inside the terminal building, thetwo banned players said they were shocked and still at a lossover the bans imposed on them.

"The punishments handed out were harsh. We are innocentand we intend to use every avenue to get the bans overturned,"former Test captain Butt said.

"We were not expecting such a verdict from the ICCtribunal and I have said all along we didn''t get a fairtreatment or hearing at the hearings," he added.

"I had gone to Doha with some hopes but was not expectingI would be banned for ten years it is unacceptable andshocking for me," he added.

Butt, who was given a longer ban because of his centralrole in the no-ball scandal during the fourth Test againstEngland at Lord''s last year said he would wait for the ICC torelease the detailed judgement of the tribunal.

"We are supposed to get the detailed judgement in twodays time and we want to see the evidence on basis of whichthey have banned and then we will go into appeal," he stated.

The ICC tribunal also banned pacer, Muhammad Asif forseven years and Aamer for five years.

Aamer said he was still in a state of shock over thetribunal verdict.

"I was not expecting this verdict at all and I say againI am insist and didn''t do any corruption," he claimed.

Aamer also complained about not getting fair treatment atthe hearing on Saturday in Doha by the tribunal.

"We are waiting for the ICC to release the detailedjudgement of the tribunal after which we will decide what todo but we have made up our minds to appeal the ban in thefirst instance," he added.

He confirmed he had pleaded not guilty at the tribunalhearing.