Butt, Asif back on field after end of ban

Karachi, Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt hit a century as he and fast bowler Mohammad Asif returned to competitive cricket on Sunday after serving five-year bans for spot-fixing.
Butt scored 135 runs and Asif picked up two wickets for Water and Power Development Authority in Pakistan’s domestic One-day tournament.
Their return in the national One-dayers came four months after their bans expired but the PCB kept them on hold, making it compulsory for them to first complete a rehabilitation/reintegration programme. Butt and pacer Asif had to travel nearly 160 kilometres from Karachi to Hyderabad to play in their first match in five years as they turned out for their employer, Water and Power Development Authority.
Ironically, the development came just hours before fellow accused Mohammad Amir flew out with the Pakistan squad for the limited-overs series in New Zealand. Pakistan’s head coach Waqar Younis said if Butt and Asif performed well in the tournament and showed form and fitness there was no reason to prevent them from playing again for Pakistan.
Akmal banned from first T20I against New Zealand
Karachi: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal will miss the first T20I against New Zealand on January 15 after being slapped with a one-match ban for violating the ICC’s dress code during a domestic game. Younis said the ban was imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after Akmal violated the code during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final last week while playing for Sui Northern Gas. “Apparently the match referee Anwar Khan had warned him twice for wearing two logos instead of one in the match and he didn’t pay heed,” Younis said.
Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam said Akmal had committed a Level-I offence of the ICC rules governing dress codes. Younis said it was time for the player to change his attitude and focus on performing for Pakistan.
Ajmal accused of fraud, asked to vacate land
Karachi: Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has been accused of fraud and misuse of facilities by the administration of the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad.
The administration has ordered him to immediately vacate the land given to him to establish his coaching academy. The varsity administration claimed yesterday that Ajmal had charged 15,000 as admission fee from the trainees. The officials said there are over 350 trainees.
“He has not given any detail of the nearly 5.3 million rupees he has collected from the students, he has tried to forcibly occupy the land we gave him for the academy and he is now refusing to vacate it,” an official claimed.