Butt, together with Pakistan seamers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, has been charged under the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code in relation to allegations of spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s in August.

The trio were provisionally suspended ahead of a hearing by an independent tribunal in Doha due to take place between Jan. 6-11.

All three players deny the allegations against them and Aftab Gul, a member of Butt’s legal team, said in an interview with Sky Sports News: “Corruption is rife in world cricket.

“I have so much evidence. I will tell you names which will make your hair stand on end.”

Asked what the biggest form of corruption is, Gul added: “It has now become spot fixing, it is much easier.”

The News of the World tabloid accused Aamer and Asif of bowling no-balls to order, with Butt alleged to be conducting events as captain.

However, Butt said: I’d like to say obviously I haven’t done anything such as this in all my life and all my cricket career.

Asked if his teammates were corrupt, Butt said: “No, I don’t believe it.”

He added: “I wish that all three of us get back and play for our country which is our passion because we love cricket and we would love to get back and play for our country.”

Butt, when questioned as to whether corruption was a problem in Pakistan cricket, said: “If it is there it should be erased.

“But it does exist all over the world, it happens everywhere, name any sport, any department of life and there are people who are trying to dodge other people and as individuals the best thing we can do is try ourselves not to indulge in it.”
 

Meantime, cricket’s rulemaking body is considering using lie detectors to combat corruption.

After a meeting in Perth, Australia, the Marylebone Cricket Club recommended further investigation into the use of the devices before a recommendation was forwarded to the International Cricket Council.

Three Pakistan players were suspended this year for being implicated in a fixing scandal.

“The (world cricket) committee is concerned at the scale of the problem and the detrimental effect it has placed on the integrity of the game,” the MCC said on Wednesday on its website.

“The committee feels more resources — and increased powers — are required to attempt to eradicate this issue from the game. The education of players should not be a meaningless formality; the message should be pressed home with regularity by figures known and respected by the players.

“Furthermore, the committee believes that team captains — as enshrined in the Laws and Spirit of Cricket — should accept greater responsibility for the conduct of their players.” A working party led by former Australia captain Steve Waugh also discussed the merits of not selecting players tainted by corruption, the inclusion of anti-corruption clauses in all professional playing contracts, and legalizing and regulating the betting markets in India.

The anti-corruption recommendations will be put to the MCC laws subcommittee for further consideration at their next meeting in February.

“We don’t want the whiff of anything suspicious going on in the game,” England captain Andrew Strauss was quoted as saying on Wednesday by Britain’s Press Association. “If we have to take extreme measures in order to be 100 percent confident the game is being played in the right spirit, then I’d certainly be happy to do that.

“I’d have to think about the arguments (for lie-detector tests) one side and another first. But the principle, of having 22 guys on the pitch that the supporters are absolutely 100 percent certain are playing the game for the right reasons, is a good thing.”