Butt files appeal against prison sentence

The former Pakistan opening bat and captain must serve a minimum of 15 months before he could be released on licence after he was found to be the "orchestrator" of the spot-fixing plot at Lord's in the fourth Test between England and his side.

Butt is reportedly sharing a cell with his co-conspirator Mohammad Asif, formerly the world's second-best bowler at Wandsworth prison, though the prison service has refused to confirm the claim. If true, it might be particularly uncomfortable for both players since at one stage in the trial the bowler's defence team turned on Butt. Alexander Milne QC, for Asif, accused Butt of ordering him to "run faster fucker", supposedly putting him off in the moments before he delivered the illegal no-ball.