A British judge on Thursday jailed former captain Salman Butt, fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and their agent Mazhar Majeed, for their part in a fixing scandal which has rocked the game to its core.
The Guardian’s editorial recognized the waste caused by 18-year-old Amir’s detention, but reasoned that the game’s reputation was too important for sentimentality to prevail.
“However desperately sad the personal stories, in particular that of the 18-year-old bowling genius Mohammad Amir, who came from a poverty-stricken village to strike terror into the heart of the England batting lineup on the second day of the Lords Test last year -- the judge was right to impose immediate custodial sentences,” it said.
“It’s no time to surrender. A beefed-up International Cricket Council, longer bans, greater powers to investigate. The fight-back starts now,” it declared.
Butt, 27, received a 30-month sentence at London’s Southwark Crown Court, while Asif was jailed for a year and Amir sent to a young offenders’ institution for six months after being found guilty of fixing parts of the August 2010 Lord’s Test match against England.
On sentencing, judge Jeremy Cooke accepted that Amir was likely to have been pressured into bowling deliberate no-balls, where a bowler oversteps the delivery line, but still believed a custodial sentence was apt.
The ICC had already banned Butt for ten years, with five suspended, Asif for seven years, with two suspended, and Amir for five years straight, sanctions which they are appealing against.
Former England captain and Times cricket correspondent Michael Atherton called Amir’s plight “tragic” and claimed all three custodial sentences “bordered on harsh.”
“There are those who want to see blood spilt, of course, those for whom no punishment is too severe,” he wrote. “Their careers are already over. What more do people want?”
The former opening batsman questioned what was to be gained in sending Amir to London’s notorious Feltham Young Offenders Institute, which, according to its latest inspection, was a place where ‘fights between young people were frequent and vestiges of youth gang culture were inevitably imported.’
“There is only sadness and the hope that, for Amir, redemption can be found,” he concluded.
The Telegraph’s Paul Kelso echoed Atherton’s concerns, calling it a “hollow victory” in the battle to clean up cricket.
“So much of this case is singular that the prospect of three UK cells being filled by foreign cricketers can only be greeted with sadness,” he wrote.
“It is one of many singularities of the case that Amir’s no-balls came in the midst of a devastating spell of four for none that reduced England to their knees and set up one of the greatest days of competitive cricket Lord’s has seen.
“No-one who saw him send the England top-order packing could suggest he was not trying,” he argued.
COMMENTS (16)
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As i have seen and come to the conclusion that there is no recovery or eyewitnesses in the case. the case is lack of documentary evidence. In fact, disputed footage has been made the base of conviction. The material, prosecution collected against them has no corroboration value,In such circumstance it need more investigation.
I feel sad only for Mohd Amir as he was too young to understand the ramifications of his actions. Also we are not sure if he did it for the money or because he did not want to displease his Captain. No one is questioning whether the desserts was just and fair, I do feel sorry for the family of the players who may not have materially benefited but stand tainted anyway.
Butt and Asif deserved what they got. However, I feel that Amir, given his poor background, lack of education and awareness could be given a second chance. Maybe to prove to the world that he was/is a genuine cricketer; but will the Pakistani nation allow him that one last chance. I agree that there is room to consider the mitigation put forward for Amir. He was at a stage and age where he could be so easily influenced and believe what he was told and act accordingly. Time will tell.
Rules are for the fools (Pakistanies), wise man (GB, AUS, NZ, IND, etc etc....) makes its and breaks it.
Expecting justice a fool notion for the fools. Nation have to rise to protect itself.
They were caught with their hands in the cookie jar in Britain so the British have every right to punish them.
@ik If a Pakistani citizen steals from a shop in London and gets caught, he is likely to end up in jail. Similarly the Pakistani cricketers who were present in UK when they broke the law of the land are liable to end up in front of the British courts.
The only legal exception are foreign diplomats and heads of state.
Good riddance...fixers. I dont care hiow young you are a crime is a crime and you pay time.
@ik
the crime was committed in the UK
aamir will be back! but the punishment is right.
@ik: "What jurisdiction does the UK have to jail Pakistani citizens – Will the PCB answer this & is anyone in Pakistan questioning this major issue."
Simple! The crime was committed in that country and the players contested the case in the UK out of their own will. They could have absconded and made their lives even worse. Don't defend the indefensible please.
Seriously man, Imprisonment is too harsh.Banning them would have been sufficient. Many other cricketers have previously been involved in fixing matches including SAficans and Australians , they got away. Is spot fixing a bigger crime than fixing matches?
@ik: if you commit a crime in foreign country, the law of that country will pre-vail. it's not a jungle where you commit a crime and your bosses will come and rescue you.
these people are used to law-less in pakistan, but when you go outside country, you have to respect the law of the country. every country isn't pakistan.
@ik. Please talk sense. These 3 committed a crime on British soil. Unlike our sub chalta hai attitude, in other countries rules and procedures are meant to be followed. If you break the law, you have to be responsible to accept the punishment.
a wake up call for those who want blood of Amer. He should be given a chance to rdeem himself. Instead he is being sent to wolves
Very Tragic .Banning was enough ..