Weather ruins day one in Galle as Salman Butt's confession clears the way for a possible return to cricket
Washout eclipsed by Butt confession
Bad weather washed out the opening day's play without a ball being bowled in the first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle on Wednesday.
The umpires abandoned play after incessant rain showed no signs of abating and the large covers at the Galle International Stadium became waterlogged.
Play will start 15 minutes early on the second day, weather permitting. But rain has been forecast over the southern coastal town on all five days.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are due to play three Tests, followed by five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches.
On the eve of the opening Test, Pakistan's cricket chief said former captain Salman Butt had confessed to his role in a spot-fixing scandal, potentially paving his way for a return to international cricket.
Image Id: ~/media/DA097619A0914B259FF21DA0BE04ECC3
Salman Butt has signed a confession // Getty Images
The 31-year-old was one of three players banned for a minimum of five years for their part in arranging deliberate no-balls in return for money during an August 2010 Test against England at Lord's.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Tuesday that Butt had signed a confessional statement.
"Butt had not specifically confessed to spot-fixing, so we gave him a statement to sign and he has specifically confessed to spot-fixing," Khan told journalists.
The cricketer had previously spoken to reporters about his role in the scandal in June 2013, but the PCB had rejected it as "a general confession".
Khan said the statement has been forwarded to the Anti-Corruption and Safety Unit of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Butt and teammates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were banned for five years, with the scandal not only destroying three top-class careers, but also shaking the cricket world.
It also led to jail terms for the trio and their agent Mazhar Majeed in 2011.
In January, the ICC approved a revised anti-corruption code allowing the banned players to return to domestic cricket a few months before their bans expire.
That allowed Aamer, who pleaded guilty in 2011, to resume domestic cricket in February this year, prompting Butt to fight his case as well.
Their bans expire on September 1.