The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced that Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt can successfully return to playing competitive cricket from 2 September, 2015, as the duo finally gets reprieve from their spot-fixing ban on the midnight of 1 September, 2015.
The duo, who was banned for five years in 2011 for corruption, can now take part in cricket in both international and the domestic levels, following the expiry of their "sanctions".
They were convicted in spot-fixing offences in August 2010, during a test match in Lord's where Pakistan played England.
Apart from Butt and Asif, the "backdated sanctions" on Mohammad Amir are also set to expire.
The 23-year-old left-arm fast bowler Amir was given the nod by ICC to return to playing domestic cricket in Pakistan only in January this year, but he can now also take part in international cricket.
"The three players were found guilty of various offences of corrupt behavior relating to the Lords Test between England and Pakistan in August 2010 by the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal on 5 February 2011, with their sanctions backdated to commence on 2 September 2010 (the date on which they were initially charged and provisionally suspended)," the ICC statement read.
"The Tribunal, headed by Mr Michael Beloff, QC, following a six-day hearing in Qatar had imposed a sanction of five years on Amir, seven years on Asif (of which the final two years were suspended on specified conditions) and 10 years on Butt (of which the final five years were suspended on specified conditions)."
The players were found to have deliberately bowled no-balls as part of a betting scam.
Butt, 30, has five ODI centuries to his credit against India. The left-handed opening batsman was appointed captain of the Pakistan Test squad only on 16 July, 2010, but following the allegations, he was stripped off of the skipper's role on 31 August, 2010.
Asif, 32, the right-arm fast medium bowler, was ranked as the second-best test bowler behind South Africa's Dale Steyn on 20 July, 2010.
The ICC statement further stated that the trio needed to comply with the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and the anti-corruption rules of all National Cricket Federations from now on, and if they commit any further offences in the game, they will be liable to harsher punishments.
"If they should commit any further act of corrupt conduct they are liable to (i) further separate disciplinary proceedings for breaches of the relevant Code or rules and (ii) in the case of Asif and Butt and where such breach occurs during the suspended part of their original period of ineligibility, the activation of that suspended period of ineligibility," the statement read.
