Tainted duo Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif sign up for first-class team

Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt.

Troubled Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt were signed up by a major Pakistani team, to play first-class cricket, reports IBN Live. The duo who were relieved of sanctions over spot-fixing last month, were signed up by former Pakistani domestic champions Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).

WAPDA chairman Zafar Mahmood confirmed that Butt and Asif will feature in the team in the first-class tournament which is scheduled to begin from October 26. "I was told of Butt and Asif's availability so I gave the sports department the go ahead and they have signed them", said the chairman.

Butt and Asif will join Mohammed Aamer, who has already started playing in the domestic circuit, and will take part in the tournament, after their ongoing rehabilitation program under the Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB), gets over. The chairman further remarked that the duo, like anyone else, deserved a second chance.

"I am clear-headed that they deserved a second chance. In my opinion anyone who has received punishment for his crime is better than those who never get punishment for their wrongdoings”, he said.

Have been training for comeback for a while now: Asif

The tainted pair, along with Mohammed Aamer were banned from the game and were subsequently jailed over the spot-fixing scandal, which rocked the game, in England in 2010. The trio was accused of deliberately presenting no-balls during the Lord's Test against England, in return for money.

Earlier, young Aamer was relaxed of his 5-year ban, which allowed him to participate in domestic matches. But the senior players, Butt and Asif had no such luck. Butt spoke about wanting to return to cricket. "I have been training for quite some time now and am keen to make a comeback in first-class cricket", he told reporters.

The signing up of the duo by the club, marks a phase of a new beginning for Butt and Asif, who would want to keep the past behind them and start afresh in Cricket. Their International career, however, may not take off anytime soon, but the very fact that they’re allowed to play at club and first-class level means for a golden opportunity to the duo to redeem themselves and get back to their natural game.