Pakistan will continue to play even if players are guilty: ICC

MELBOURNE: If involvement of any player in spot-fixing is established, they will be banned but Pakistan as a cricket team will not be punished, the International Cricket Council has said.

ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said players act as individuals so the entire team or the national cricket board cannot be punished for what certain players do.

"We must separate individual players, their misdemeanour or not. We must separate them from the Pakistan team and Pakistan board. If individuals have transgressed in any way, we deal with individuals.

"As far as Pakistan, and the system in Pakistan is concerned, nothing has changed in our view ... to play international cricket," Lorgat said.

Lorgat said the world governing body would not tolerate corruption in the game and handing life bans to guilty was an option for them.

"I would not rule out any sort of punishment. It is dependent on what the findings are. I would not like to predetermine their guilt nor predetermine what sanctions are appropriate, but we would not tolerate any kind of corruption in this sport. Corruption is a dangerous thing, any form of it," Lorgat was quoted as saying by 'Daily Telegraph'

Lorgat said they can take action against players but cannot dictate terms to national cricket boards.

"Don't forget the governance structure we have: the Pakistan Cricket Board, like every other member board, is autonomous. They have the responsibility to look after their affairs.

"Unless they request our assistance in a direct fashion to get involved, we cannot go there and do what you are suggesting. We can offer, but it must be accepted. We cannot demand," he said.

The suspended trio -- Test captain Salman Butt, pacers Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Aamer -- have admitted that they had taken money from alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed but said it belonged to their sponsorship deals.

They also claimed they did not know that Majeed, who is their agent in UK, was a bookie.

Lorgat said a player's agent accreditation process might be implemented to weed out the likes of the notorious Majeed.

The suspended players have been charged by the ICC and they have 14 days to respond to those.

British Barrister Michael Beloff, chairman of the ICC's code of conduct, will form the commission that will hear the case involving suspended trio.