Butt and Amir accuse ICC of unfair treatment

A day after the ICC turned down their appeals against provisional suspensions from international cricket Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir hit out at the governing body's decision, reached after a two-day hearing in Dubai this weekend. The players' comments appear to be in contrast to those made by Aftab Gul, Butt's lawyer, who said yesterday they were satisfied with the hearing and just not its decision.

The pair returned to Lahore on Monday and spoke to reporters at the airport, claiming that the ICC had treated them unfairly. But as the day wore on, Butt appeared on several TV channels, intensifying his attack against the decision reached by Michael Beloff, the ICC code of conduct commissioner, and built up claims of "a conspiracy" against the players and Pakistan.

The root of their discontent was the the ICC and the hearing itself. "They listened to us but it felt as if their decision had already been made from before," Butt said. "It was not based on a single piece of evidence. There was no evidence that established that we had some agreement with Mazhar Majeed. After a 12-hour hearing the only so-called evidence they had was the same NOTW article and the same video everyone has seen."

Asked by Geo, a leading channel, to explain the contents of the video, an agitated Butt asked, "You are asking me questions but you tell me where am I in this video? These things have to be proven when you talk about such charges, you cannot base it on just suspicions. It is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. I am not here to convince you, did he say on video that I had done something? Of course I am denying all this. I feel like I am talking to the English media."

Amir echoed similar concerns. "Before leaving for Dubai we felt the case will be in our favour, but when he gave the decision it looked as if he had written the decision before," he told reporters at the airport. "We went for the truth but this could be a conspiracy against Pakistan, to tarnish Pakistan's reputation."

The PCB has distanced itself from the defence of the players, insisting that it is up to them and their lawyers to resolve the matter. They have prevented the players, including Mohammad Asif who has withdrawn his appeal, from using board facilities such as the National Cricket Academy for training. But now, the pair insist, it is time for authorities to get involved.

"It [the PCB distancing itself] wasn't expected," Butt said. "Nobody from the PCB has even called us so I don't know what is going on there. But I think now is the time for even the government to get involved as well as the PCB because it isn't just about three players. This is Pakistan being cornered."

Butt and Amir have been suspended from international cricket, along with Asif, since September 2. They are not permitted to appeal against the latest verdict and they will now appear before an independent anti-corruption tribunal that will look into the actual charges and give a verdict on whether the players are innocent or guilty.

No date has been set for the full hearing despite a request by the players to do so. "We'll carry on, we'll wait for the hearing," Butt said, "They haven't given us a date even though we asked for it."

Taffazul Rizvi, the PCB legal advisor has criticised the pair's attack on the arbitration. "It was highly inappropriate of the players to cast doubts on the impartiality of the tribunal after the short order had been announced," he said.

South Africa hold edge despite Razzaq miracle

Pakistan's victories are rarely unspectacular. They rarely win without a blitz from the blue or a jaw-dropping demonstration of fast bowling. They almost always leave it late, and to a few men, sending their fans from despair to delight. But because Pakistan rely so much on moments of individual genius to overcome collective, sustained efficiency, they don't win as much as less exciting sides do.

Like well-oiled South Africa, who won ten consecutive one-day internationals before being blind-sided by Abdul Razzaq. Pakistan are certainly the more memorable side, in victory or defeat, but South Africa unquestionably the more successful. Even if South Africa go on to take the series 4-1, the stand-out match and performance could still be Razzaq's heist. It's a back-handed compliment of sorts but Pakistan would probably be willing to swap some of their breathtaking tendencies for mundane, run-of-the-mill victories. But that isn't this Pakistan's way.

So as the series moves to Dubai, South Africa will enter Tuesday's game as favourites once again, simply because it's likelier that Hashim Amla will provide a solid start, which his team-mates in the middle order will convert into a substantial performance. And it's likelier that Pakistan's batsmen will combust, whether from their indiscretions or South Africa's superiority. Should that come to pass, ODI No. 3064 is likely to fade from memory quickly. But if it doesn't, and Razzaq or another temperamental Pakistan player produces a mercurial performance, the battle between these two very different teams will be worth the watch.

Watch out for...

Misbah-ul-Haq made only 31 runs in the first two ODIs after replacing Umar Akmal, who perhaps paid the price for one flamboyant shot too many. Misbah is likely to keep his place in the remaining games, considering he will be Test captain after the one-dayers are over, but would like to secure it with worthy performances. His steady approach could form the pillar around which the shot-makers can rally, but he is yet to find form.

Few people will remember Colin Ingram's century, a innings that was the bulwark of South Africa's 286 in the second ODI, because Razzaq blitzed it into an obscure page in the record books. Ingram does, however, average 85 with a strike-rate of 94 after five ODIs, and is a prospect for the future.

Team news

Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis missed the second ODI and it's not yet certain that they will return for the third. Smith got hit on his hand but x-rays revealed no fracture, while Kallis was racked with cramps and had to retire in the first game. He needed an intravenous drip after suffering from dehydration, which was triggered by a viral infection.

South Africa (possible): 1 Robin Peterson, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Albie Morkel 8 Johan Botha (capt), 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 11 Charl Langeveldt

Never change a winning combination, if it ain't broke don't fix it ... the cliches exhorting the virtues of persisting with a winning side are numerous. But Pakistan, with their reliance on individuals, aren't a winning combination and so there's a case for Umar Akmal to be given a look-in once again.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Asad Shafiq, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq / Umar Akmal, 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Zulqarnain Haider (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Saeed Ajmal

Stats and trivia

• Only two ODIs have been played at the Dubai International Stadium - between Pakistan and Australia - and both were low-scoring contests. Australia's 208 for 4 is the venue's highest total
• Beware Shahid Afridi the legspinner at this venue. In those two games against Australia, Afridi claimed 6 for 38 and 2 for 38 in ten-over spells.

Quotes

"We are feeling better now as a team. We have areas to improve on, but we will try our best in the coming games."

Shahid Afridi has said variations of this before, but consistency remains a shifting target

"I can't really say much, but you play an innings like that, then you deserve to win the game. It's never nice to lose, but rather here than in a World Cup."

South Africa's stand-in captain, Johan Botha, after the second ODI.