ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir yesterday accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of not really listening to their appeals against provisional bans for an alleged involvement in spot-fixing.

The ICC’s code of conduct commission upheld the suspensions of Butt, Amir and teammate Mohammad Asif, who withdrew his appeal last week, on Sunday after a two-day hearing in Dubai. The trio were suspended in September after a British tabloid sting alleged money was paid for bowling no-balls at prearranged times in a Test against England at Lord’s in August to fix spot-betting markets.

Butt and the 18-year-old Amir returned to Pakistan yesterday and expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the hearing, which was overseen by code of conduct commission chief Michael Beloff.

“They heard us but (it was) as if ‘say whatever you want to say, we have come with a decision’,” Butt said. “Their decision was not based on a single piece of evidence against us.

“We requested from them the next date of the hearing but they didn’t give us (it).”

Amir said he felt the ICC had made up its mind before the hearing that the suspension would remain in place.

“(Before leaving for Dubai) we felt the case will be in our favour, but when he gave the decision it looked as if he had written the decision before.”

Amir also requested that the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan’s government come forward to help resolve the case.

Pakistan is due to send its 30-member list of probable players for next year’s World Cup to the ICC by November 30 and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said the three could only be included if they were exonerated by the ongoing investigation.

“If they get exonerated then we can (ask) permission from the ICC to include them,” Butt said. “Suspended players could not be included, that is very loud and clear.”

The ICC has not provided an estimate of how long the investigation will take.

Ijaz Butt also said yesterday that the national team only needs bowling and fielding coaches and that batsmen should be responsible for preparing themselves before selection.

“When a player (batsman) comes to Test cricket … if he needs coaching he should not have been selected,” the PCB chairman said.

Former Test legspinner Abdul Qadir wanted the PCB to hire a batting coach in the wake of poor performances against South Africa in the Untied Arab Emirates.

Pakistan lost both their Twenty20s in Abu Dhabi and were facing defeat at 136-5 in the second One-Day International before a stunning unbeaten 109 off 72 balls by Abdul Razzaq lifted them to a one-wicket win and levelled the five-match series 1-1.

Former fast bowler Waqar Younis is Pakistan’s head coach with Aqib Javed — also an ex-Test fast bowler — his assistant.

“I am not an expert,” Butt said when asked why Pakistan’s top order batsmen were struggling against South Africa. “Ask the chairman of selectors. When our captain (Shahid Afridi) returns ask him, he is an expert, ask our coach he is an expert.”

“What I do believe is that bowling and fielding are the areas in which you need help all the time.”

Butt added that former Pakistan internationals were not willing to help support the current side.

Butt asked several senior Pakistan cricketers “to guide young players, like Mohammad Amir”, but nobody was willing to do so.

“In other countries senior players help youngsters, here nobody comes forward,” Butt said.