Thank you to the newest, and unwitting, servants of cricket. I have never met them. They are not paid large sums of money to do what is in cricket’s best interest.
They may not know anything about cricket. They might not know the identity of any international player. They may passionately dislike the sport. They may believe it is a stupid game.
But in the performance of its duty, the members of the UK Home Office have done something cricket is unwilling to do: delay the re-entry of a former international captain who betrayed that office through spot-fixing, led others – including a young star – astray, and only belatedly admitted any guilt.
Or, more bluntly, he betrayed everything that an international captain is supposed to stand for.
I refer, of course, to Salman Butt.
Under UK law, Butt will not be able to return to England until ten years after his original sentence was due to finish, unless an exception is made, and preferential treatment would be unlikely. If enforced, UK law would therefore stymie Pakistan’s potential plans to pick Butt for their forthcoming tour of England.
Has Butt served his sentence? Yes. The sentence was inadequate, and been suspended when there was no cause for suspension, but that is not the fault of Butt.
Will he play again? Probably – there’s a good chance we might see him next Australian summer, and he will no doubt receive the ire of the crowd.
However, while cricket has enabled Butt’s return, it never should have done. At least the UK Home Office has temporarily delayed it. Cricket may not be thankful for that, but many cricket fans should be.
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