So the ICC have banned three Pakistani cricketers for two different offences following the News of the World allegations of last year. Captain Salman Butt has been banned for ten years (five of them suspended) for failing to disclose information about a meeting and an agreement with a dodgy bookie. The two fast bowlers who bowled the no balls, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir (he was Aamer when he broke into the game – why has the spelling of his name changed?) have got seven (two suspended) and five respectively. So all three will at least be out of the game for five years but the likelihood of them ever returning seems low.
The only one who seems to have any realistic shot of taking the field again is Amir. The young left hander was like a breath of fresh air. A truly gifted swing bowler reminded many of Wasim Akram at his pomp. I first saw Amir during the Australian summer twelve months or so ago when he was the shining light in a pretty laborious Pakistani pace attack. He was making waves all over the cricketing world and every cricket fan thought a true great was being unearthed.
Then step forward to the English summer and the Pakistani tour. Again he impressed and showed he wasn’t a one-time wonder. The world was his oyster. He was set to become the poster boy of Pakistani cricket for the next decade or more. If there is one country where a great cricketer can truly have it all then it in Pakistan.
However a no ball later that seemingly was bowled deliberately in return for a few quid has ruined all that. Now these players will face a criminal trial in the UK and that trial will need to prove guilt whereas the ICC Panel didn’t. So I won’t be typing anything about any of them being guilty just yet but I know my heart sank when I read it was this kid involved last summer. I suspect others felt the same.
Now whether he felt pressured into doing it but senior players (if indeed he did do it) or that he was told it was the norm. The long and short of it is cricket is poorer that he won’t be around. Asif and Butt were fine players but neither was a great or had the potential to be one, Amir did. I feel like we are missing out on watching him play because of what happened and the world of cricket is poorer for it.
It makes me sad.
Criminal proceedings get underway in the spring and I know I’ll be watching them intently. If they are found not guilty it will be very interesting to see what happens next but I think the fear is that is less likely than the three of them spending time at Her Majesty’s Pleasure.
I might be selfish but I want to see Amir again. He’ll only be 22 by the time his ban is up but I fear his name has been tarnished too much. We shall wait and see but true greatness being taken down before it has time to shine is a sad situation for us all.
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The whole 2011 ICC world cup was fixed for India, where is ICC. This is conspiracy planned by ICC and got poor Pakistani players involved in this scandal. So that they can make Pakistan cricket team weak for world cup.
Now the world cup is over, India got what they wanted to have. So, ICC should lift the ban from them at least from Mohammad Aamer.
BTW, cricket is no more cricket, it has become like World Wide Wrestling Federation.
M. Amir = Messi
ICC corrupt from the core who had to relocate their office from London to Monaco to Middle East for tax evasion!
India = Barcelona, NOT a single decision can go against them but favored at all times in regards to scheduling and who knows what else…
Pakistan = Real Madrid, blessed with talent but needs to clean up their own house too!
M. Amir, me and my friends look forward to you making a come back but in the mean time for goodness sake get some education so it can help you mentally and release the sense of insecurity!
i feel the same way. He was a rising star on the way to bigger and better things and I hope the he gets back soon. He was a joy to watch and for one summer he turn england and the world on its head. the lad was a breath of freash air to the sport and I think that its unbeliveable that such a talented player can do this not just to pakistan cricket, but to the sport as a whole. wheather or not he was preshered into doing this by Butt, Asif or anyone else, doesnt mean that it was right.To do this to such a talented cricketer is just sick.The whole sport needs cleaning up and and so does pakistan cricket.
(i hope he will be as good in 2015 then he is now. I hope to see him back to his best when he is 23.)
I have no sympathy for Asif or Butt, however Amir is whole different ballgame. I mean you just have to do a little google search and you will get results full of controversies and scams, Roger clemens case is still going in congress despite the mountain of evidence… barry bonds, Tiger Woods, in England Higgins, Rooney, Terry are still in business. Nobody has taken their right of playing or exerting such harsh judgements on them. I feel sorry for Pakistani people as world cup has been snatched from them slowly but surely with unforseen and unfortunate events. I started watching cricket recently as I heard Afridi boom boom and Mohammed Amir. I have never been a cricket fan and maybe never will be as hardcore as anyone else. But there in lifetimes only once you get to see players like Derker Jeter, Brett Farve, Tiger Woods, manning brothers, Zidane, Messi, Rooney, Mohammed amir and no matter what color humans are, that day humans unite…. I will be writing some letters to ICC, PCB and Switzerland sporting organization in support of Mr. Amir and will also write letter to players who have been supporting Amir across the globe to request downsizing of sentence for young Amir.
Thank you and God Bless
(For the mentally incapacitated, in no way do I support actions taken by Mohammed Amir but only challenge humans to recognize him as a fellow human and punish him by doing awareness campaigns and to encourage young regarding education, not sticking a nail through 18 year old kid)
Asif and Butt deserve everything they get. Even though i was upset to know Asif got banned i wasnt surprised as he has had very extravagant lifestyle.
However, I feel that as Amir was the leading bowler for Pakistan, he got pulled into this for no reason what so ever. He is only 18 and not very educated. He probably didnt even understand the precautions for his actions properly. Come on how many of us have made mistakes at that age. I think they should have at max given him a 6 month ban on the basis of him being naive and too young to know any better.
Also as being a Asian i know the amount of pressure that can be exerted on juniors by seniors. You always have this need to impress and listen to your elders even at the time of wrong. I would say that the ICC should go easy on him and lift the ban. He is a true talent and could reignite the love of cricket for many people. Breath of fresh air for cricket which if the ban stays, could suffocate cricket as a result.
I think you’ve summed up my feelings very well. Amir is just a kid and he was told by senior members of the team what to do. He may not have known it wasn’t uncommon even though he would’ve known it wasn’t right. I hope – I really hope he comes back soon.
Why on earth is no one commenting on the fact that this guys haven´t even apologised for their actions. They betrayed their country & the cricketing world, been caught red-handed, been found guilty & still haven´t said sorry or admitted they were even wrong. It´s sad that people are even defending these guys, they don´t deserve it
I won’t defend the two older guys but Amir is just a kid and did not know better. I do feel for him. I really do.