Revision as of 17:54, 6 September 2015

A timeline

[ From the archives of the Times of India]

AUG 28, 2010: The News of the World reports that Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were involved in ‘spot-fixing’ during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s. Their claim is based on a sting operation. Agent Mazhar Majeed is arrested on suspicion of conspiracy

SEPT 2: The ICI suspends the three cricketers and charges them under various offences as per its anti-corruption code

OCT 31: ICC rejects an appeal by the three

NOV 3: Pakistan Cricket Board suspendx central contracts of the accused players

FEB 4, 2011: The trio, together with Majeed, is charged with corruption offences by the Crown Prosecution Service, London

FEB 5: ICC bans Butt for ten years (five suspended), Asif for seven years (two suspended) and Amir for five years

JUNE 4: Amir plays in the Surrey league in breach of ICC code

NOV 1: Amir, Butt and Asif convicted by Crown Court.

NOV 3: Amir gets six-month jail sentence

NOV 23: Amir’s appeal against length sentence dismissed

FEB 1, 2012: Amir released after serving half of his sentence

MARCH 19: Amir blames ‘brother’ Butt for ‘luring him into fixing’

Salman But led me to fixing

Brother’ butt lured me into fixing: Amir

I didn’t do it for money, Pak fast bowler tells former England captain Atherton

Disgraced Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir said that former captain Salman Butt had betrayed their friendship by involving him in the spot-fixing scandal that has seen him banned from cricket and serve time in a British prison. And the talented Amir again apologised to fans in cricket-crazy Pakistan for his role in the scandal by saying: “I ask for their forgiveness. I messed up.”

He was released from jail after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in the scandal during the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan in 2010. “I’m so angry with Salman,” said Amir, speaking publicly for the first time since his release in an interview with former England captain Mike Atherton broadcast on Sky Sports on Monday. “He used to call me ‘innocent one’. Like how an elder brother would speak to a younger one,” he added in comments translated by Sky into English from Urdu. “He should have helped me instead of involving me in all this.” The charges were related to bowling deliberate no-balls by Amir and pace partner Asif in the 2010 Lord’s Test against England. What none of the players or Majeed knew at the time was that the scam was part of a sting operation put together by now defunct British newspaper, the News of the World. Amir said he became entangled in the Lord’s plot the day before the Test because of fears over phone contacts he had with a businessman he knew as Ali, which Butt and Majeed exploited in a meeting in the car park of the team hotel. “Suddenly he (Majeed) said ‘oh bro, you’ve got yourself in big trouble, you’re trapped, and your career is at stake’,” Amir recalled. “I said ‘Bro, what’s happened?’. He told me that my calls and texts with Ali had been recorded and had reached the ICC.” Majeed, who said a friend had told him about the ICC “probe” then explained to Amir the way his name could avoid being linked publicly with that of Ali was if he did the agent the favour of bowling two no-balls to order.

Reflecting on how he got into trouble, Amir said: “I was stupid. I should have told someone. I didn’t do it for money.” AFP