ICC’s five-year ban shocks Amir

Mohammad Amir says he was shocked and disappointed at being handed a five-year ban.

DOHA: Pakistan teenage fast-bowler Mohammad Amir said he was shocked and disappointed at being handed a five-year ban yesterday. Amir, along with former captain Salman Butt and fellow pacer Mohammad Asif were slapped with bans by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after their role in spot-fixing during the England tour in August last year.

“I’m shocked and hugely disappointed. I wasn’t expecting that much of a ban,” said Amir, just minutes after the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC announced its verdict.

Salman was banned for 10 years, of which five are suspended, Asif for seven years with two suspended while Amir for five years.

The corruption charges relate to alleged incidents during a Test against England at Lord’s last year, when Britain’s News of the World newspaper claimed the players were willing to deliberately bowl no-balls.

The newspaper alleged the players had colluded in a spot-fixing scam organised by British-based agent Mazhar Majeed.

Amir said he was confident of being absolved. “I was confident that I will get away without any punishment, but this is very hard on me. I have just come out of the hearing and have told my family who have tried to console me.

“I will sit with my lawyer and decide about appealing against the verdict.”

Amir’s lawyer Shahid Karim had hinted he would try to convince the tribunal that, since his client was only 18, and had never committed any violation of the code before, he should be treated leniently.

The players have 21 days to appeal against the sanctions in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Switzerland.

On Friday, British prosecutors charged the three players, as well as Majeed, with corruption offences and summoned them to appear in a London court on March 17. Karim said he is confident that Amir will appeal.

“It’s a sad day for Pakistan cricket,” said Karim. “I tried my level best, tried all the provisions which could have helped Amir but a five-year ban is too harsh.”

“He is shocked, although he put on a brave face but it’s very tough to be consoled,” said Karim, hinting that the Crown Prosecution Service’s announcement also changed the scenario.

Amir, only 18, was regarded as one of the hottest properties in international cricket and was compared to legendary Pakistani fast-bowler Wasim Akram within two years of his emergence.

‘I feel sad for these cricketers’

Meanwhile, former captain Akram, while talking to reporters in Karachi, admitted that the lengthy bans handed out represented a new low for the besieged sport in the country.

“I feel very sad for all three of these kids. One of them is just 18,” said Akram. “I feel for their families because they are key players. This is definitely a low for Pakistan cricket.”

Akram also said Amir is a special talent. “I was very happy to see Amir’s progress, but with this punishment his career will suffer. I hope he comes back strongly,” said Akram.

Akram said he hopes the punishments will serve as a lesson. “Not only for cricketers in Pakistan, but also for the players around the world, this should be a lesson, and I sincerely hope that the ICC has set an example with this verdict. This will serve as a clean-up, not only in Pakistan cricket, but in world cricket,” said Akram.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2011.