The Three Dishonorable Musketeers - Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif - have already been banned by the ICC for the spot-fixing fiasco at Lord's last summer and are now due to start the battle to save their liberty in the English courts.
Predictably, according to a report on the BBC, it seems that one and probably all of the disgraced trio will apply for legal aid to pay for the cost of their defence.
Apparently they will cite that due to their suspension from cricket since September, they have not been able to earn any income.
Now Pakistan's players may not enjoy the riches received by their Indian cousins or indeed those that represent England and Australia, but they are hardly on the breadline.
Whilst we suppose that Aamer may have the basis of a claim given that he has only played international cricket for a couple of years, and Asif could cite several other episodes of lost earnings due to suspensions from the game for previous misdemeanours, the increasingly odious Butt has no such excuse.
Butt has been playing international cricket since 2003, and no doubt has accumulated considerably more wealth than most hardworking cricket fans and certainly the vast majority of his countrymen.
If Butt in particular receives even a penny from UK taxpayers, it will make a mockery of a system, which let's not forget is designed to ensure that those who really cannot afford to defend themselves in a court of law are provided with the means to do so.
So slippery Salman, instead of sponging off the state, perhaps you could do some more commentary or open another ice cream parlour in Tooting instead? The latter certainly seems to pay well.
Where next?
Mohammad Aamer: the waste of an irrepressible talent
Exclusive: The New Ten Point Pakistan Player Code of Conduct
England obviously don't want to win the World Cup; so what are they trying to do?
World Cup Heroes: Viv Richards
Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here
If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep
Comments