Should Mohammad Amir be banned or rehabilitated, if found guilty?

[mastana]

"One thing that struck me about Amir was his constant smile, his zest for the game," he said. "That has not changed. I will never condone any form of fixing, but we should consider that a cricketer might not be thinking of personal gain but of getting money to buy a generator for his village because they don't have electricity.

:(( :(( How touchy.

[Feed]

Nasser Hussain: Aamer has been a breath of fresh air all summer When I heard on Saturday night that Pakistan were involved in a match-fixing scandal, I immediately thought two things. The first was: I'm not massively surprised...More... Aamer was like a breath of fresh air all summer Last updated at 9:32 AM on 31st August 2010 Nasser Hussain When I heard on Saturday night that Pakistan were involved in a match-fixing scandal, I immediately thought two things. The first was: I’m not massively surprised. The second was: please, don’t let it be Mohammad Aamer. When it turned out the lad was involved, it felt hugely disappointing. Mohammad Asif has got himself into scrapes before, but Aamer has been a breath of fresh air all summer. He’s revived the dying art of proper fast bowling and his future looked fantastic. Now it’s been tarnished. Lord’s felt a shallow place to be yesterday. I know rumours have always swirled round this Pakistan side, but their supporters will still feel hugely let down by the al legations. At Edgbaston earlier this summer Aamer was treated like a demi-god by the young Pakistan fans. What will they think of him now? They needed a hero. Instead, they’ve got yet another scandal. And the worry is that this is merely the tip of the iceberg. I find it hard to believe that we’re just talking about a few no-balls. I’m not pointing fingers at individuals but if guys get sucked into so-called spot-fixing, it can lead to more sinister stuff. One minute you’re conceding a prearranged number of runs in a bowling spell, the next you’re throwing an actual match — and this fixer is now saying the Sydney Test against Australia in January was thrown. I’m all for not condemning someone before they are proven guilty, but the footage does not look good. Aamer hadn’t bowled many no-balls in the first three Tests so to go so far through the crease was pretty damning. And take a look at Salman Butt at extra cover in the picture below. I fielded there quite a lot and I would look at the ball until it was about halfway down, and then at the batsman. The one place I wouldn’t look is at the bowler, but that’s exactly where Butt is looking. Again, the evidence does not look favourable. Of course, with the disappointment comes anger. I’m furious with Pakistan cricket for going down this road again. I know there’s probably a financial reason for this sort of behaviour. They must look over the border to their rich neighbours India and the IPL, which the Pakistanis aren’t allowed to play in, and wonder why they’re not getting a slice of the pie. But that doesn’t make it right. The public will feel equally shortchanged. They had just witnessed a marvellous fightback by England on day two and some special bowling on the Saturday. Now they will wonder whether any of what they watched was tainted. Were bowling changes made in good faith? Were the right fields set at the right time? And that’s the problem with things like this: you lose faith in what you see. The England players will feel angry too. Today’s headlines should be all about their crushing win and a 3-1 series victory. Instead, everyone’s talking about cricket for the wrong reasons. With time, the feeling will pass, but I hope Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad don’t allow the no-ball controversy to diminish what they achieved on Friday. Where now for the game? My hope is that, if the allegations are true, the authorities are strong. We’ve still got a ridiculous situation in which two Essex players, Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield, were accused of spot-fixing in a county game that took place almost a year ago and one of them is still representing the county. That doesn’t look good for cricket. The depressing fact is we’re back to the sad, bad old days. You didn’t feel like celebrating yesterday when a wicket fell and that’s not something the game wants. The sooner they sort out this mess, the better for everyone.

[Fontaine]

Mohammad Amir earns sympathy amid scandal Andrew Miller August 30, 2010 "We must remember that we are judging these guys by the standards of our own country, when their situations are vastly different," Lawson told The Age in Melbourne. "The first time I met Mohammad Amir was when he was 16, coming to an Under-19s camp. He comes from a small village near the Swat valley and was delayed by three hours because the Taliban had closed the highway. That doesn't happen in this country." http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/475154.html

No that's wrong. The players have to be judged by a common set of rules and regulations set by the ICC for which EVERY player is responsible regardless of age, race, religion. :finger:

[Sachinism]

We don't know Aamer's side of the story Shwetabh and for what reasons he got involved (possibly coerced' date=' intimidated) into this. [b']In the context of 100's of runs, what difference could a no ball here and there possibly make ? No body knows the no balls were pre arranged (no signals) and in what way would a couple of harmless no balls influence the outcome of the match ? Easy money, relatively secure and notoriously difficult to prove, you can see how he was lulled into a false sense of security. I think the no balls were to demonstrate to NOTW what Mazid was capable of and to show that he could influence the team into deliberately under performing if millions are to made in illegal gambling. The deliberate no balls can be thought of a "proof of concept" almost, just to show that he's got the Pak team in his pockets and can buy them into doing whatever he wishes.

Players are told about this kinda stuff. They're warned about not giving any information no matter how small. If they get information or get you to do something small (no-ball) once, they've got you trapped, they'll blackmail you time and time again. Knowing that and still getting involved, he deserves to be punished as harshly as anyone else

[The Outsider]

The rundi rona of the Pakis seems to have got the desired effect. They have managed to convince at least a certain section of the media and population that they are the wronged ones and it is the circumstances which have led to these actions. One can only laugh at the gullibility of morons like this guy, Holding, Hussain etc.

[anish233]

why are ppl just supporting Ammir and calling him Innocent .. and all that shiit... 18 is no KID... if he deserves this kind of help from ppl.... the others should too.... it doesnt matter How involved he was... as long as he was .. he is a criminal.. just like everyone else involved...

[EnterTheVoid]

Players are told about this kinda stuff. They're warned about not giving any information no matter how small. If they get information or get you to do something small (no-ball) once, they've got you trapped, they'll blackmail you time and time again. Knowing that and still getting involved, he deserves to be punished as harshly as anyone else

I agree. Sympathy gone down the sh!tter, he should be banned.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[thevortex]

These folk just want to enjpy some decent left-arm swing.

Ah, quite simple isnt it? :) This post is an oasis when compared to others in this thread.

[Gunner_Mania]

Michael Atherton's articles in Times

Why the culture of greed has a vice-like grip Imagine the scene. You are an inexperienced player on your second tour. The captain, a revered figure, calls a team meeting without the presence of the coach. He tells everyone that there has been an offer to throw the next day’s match, a one-day international, for $200,000 and a unanimous decision must be made whether to accept. All for one, one for all. It is hard to imagine how a meeting such as this could take place in professional sport. But it did, in Mumbai in December 1996, the night before a one-day international between South Africa and India. Of all the match-fixing stories, this is the one that has most intrigued, horrified and, in a dark way, amused me. The circumstances and the narrative show how easy it is for the culture of a team to become corrupted. The match in question was one that was tacked on to an already full itinerary, played to benefit the former India cricketer Mohinder Amarnath. This was much to the disgust of a weary South Africa team, who had been in India for two months and wanted to get home. They were tired and irritable and, as events would show, not thinking clearly. We know that Hansie Cronje had already received money from M. K. Gupta, a bookmaker, for information during the Test series that preceded the match in question. Gupta, having made his downpayment during the Tests, now offered Cronje $200,000 for his team to throw the match. The subsequent team meeting that South Africa held to discuss the offer was eventually reported, but sketchily. Colin Bryden, the cricket correspondent of South Africa’s Sunday Times, wrote about it after the allegations against Shane Warne and Mark Waugh in 1998, although the headline, “Proud South African Cricketers Hit Match-Fixers For Sixâ€, could be said to be laughably ironic in due course. Players involved also gave sparse testimony to the King Commission later, after the outing of Cronje as a match-fixer. Over the years, this particular team meeting has fascinated me. I always wondered how such a meeting could come about — the awkwardness of the topic, the conversations involved and, since it transpired that only three players spoke out vehemently against the offer (which was ultimately rejected on a one-for-all or all-for-one basis), how it could be contemplated by any self-respecting team. Over time I have spoken to many of those who were in that room. Most say that Andrew Hudson, Derek Crookes and Daryll Cullinan were the only ones to recognise the issue for what it was; the only ones who were able, as the dollar signs whizzed in front of their eyes, to know right from wrong. But for them, the money could have been accepted. Others found ways to convince themselves to take the offer seriously. One talked of the healthy exchange rate against the rand; another thought it a chance to make some easy cash at the end of his career; another spoke of the anger the squad felt at being forced to play another game; another, unbelievably, asked whether any gains would be tax free; and another voiced a triumphant opinion that they had finally made the big time now that they, too, were being offered the kind of money he had heard other teams talking about. Unbelievable, but true. A core of senior players held a second meeting privately. Gupta was then asked whether he would up his offer. During the King Commission, Cronje admitted that he was sore with himself for not accepting money for losing a match they lost anyway. Nevertheless, that it was contemplated at all and debated at length is remarkable. This from a team, excluded from international cricket since 1970 over apartheid, who had only been readmitted four years earlier, who had a reputation for godliness and, under Kepler Wessels, for outstanding professionalism. We are talking about the culture of sporting teams here. South Africa’s changed within the space of two years, from the moment that Wessels stood down as captain to Cronje first accepting money from a bookmaker on that tour to India. So when people say that the culture of the Pakistan team cannot change, I don’t agree. Any team can change their culture if the right people are in charge. The drinking culture at Manchester United, prevalent under Ron Atkinson, was quickly stamped out by Alex Ferguson after his arrival in 1986. The losing culture of the England cricket team was ended by a fortunate marriage, one that brought together Duncan Fletcher and Nasser Hussain ten years ago. South Africa’s descent into moral relativism was brought about by the susceptibility of one man, Cronje, to money. As the culture of a team can change rapidly, so can the culture of an entire sport. The recent Bloodgate scandal in rugby union suggested strongly that the move to full-on professionalism has changed the sport to a point where it is unrecognisable from the one played in the amateur age. Bloodgate could not have happened at that time, when players and coaches — and supporters, no doubt — had their sport in proper perspective. Few could argue that cricket’s culture has not changed in recent years and this is about more than the Pakistan team. The pervading culture in cricket is a grasping one, from administrators to players to commentators. Once money is involved, anything goes. The prevailing culture is one of greed. The ECB gets into bed with a fraudster of shocking magnitude; a report on the accounts of Zimbabwe Cricket is shredded amid rumours of massive misappropriation of funds; the ICC runs its World Cups with television contracts rather than the public good in mind. At a Test ground recently, wi-fi users were warned against betting, even as the ground in question was fixing the advertising boards plugging the name of a betting company. An Australia player was sent home for drinking as the captain was instructed to wear the team sponsor’s cap advertising a brewer. All these things have happened in the past few years. An England player uses his profile shamelessly to plug a sponsor’s product even as he waits in the changing room as next man in; players involve themselves with benefit sponsors no matter how dodgy the reputation; players hold county clubs to ransom; England players sign central contracts but expect to be able to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL); commentators act as players’ agents; an England selector is also a county coach. All these things have happened. The most egregious example of the present culture is the IPL. Board of Control for Cricket in India officials are also franchise holders; commentators sit on the IPL governing body; the television coverage is not so much about the cricket but about how many sponsors can be satisfied; rumours of money laundering are rife Conflicts of interest are wide-ranging and numerous. Taken individually, they might not amount to much. Taken as a whole, they paint a picture of a sport in thrall to money. Is it any wonder, in that atmosphere, that players could be led astray easily? Particularly players from a relatively impoverished country that pays players poorly. If everyone is on the gravy train, why should they miss out? It has been said, time and again in this quarter, that cricket will become a great game again only when there is transformation at the very top. While the ICC is run by politicians and businessmen with little feeling for the game and intent only on maximising revenue and politicking to ensure that narrow vested interests are looked after, nothing will change. Their priorities are all wrong. Leadership is everything. Rotten leadership changed the culture of the South Africa team in the blink of an eye. When Crookes, the young South Africa spinner, spoke up against his hero-worshipped captain in that team meeting in December 1996, it was to anyone from the outside the obvious thing to do. When Cronje asked the team to swear an oath of secrecy and Crookes refused, saying that he was unwilling to keep anything from his wife, it was a brave thing to do. Within the prevailing culture, which by and large is not crooked but merely grasping, they would be seen as acts of minor heroism

[Gunner_Mania]

Mohammad Amir can come to symbolise reform if proved that the mark was overstepped

The England captain, a number of his predecessors, the Pakistan manager, Yawar Saeed, and the greatest Pakistani cricketer of them all, Imran Khan, were of one voice on Sunday: if the allegations are proved to be accurate then the punishment should fit the crime. “If someone is proven to be categorically guilty then the only way is for them never to play international cricket again,†Strauss said in a flawless post-match performance. In a different way, Saeed agreed. “If I have stolen one shilling from you, you punish me for a shilling not for a million pounds,†he said. And fixing is the greatest crime a sportsman can commit so the punishment, in Saeed’s view, should be suitably harsh. The crime, if proven, is obvious. What is not so straightforward is who perpetrated it and who the victims are. Clearly, the paying public would be victims, deceived into thinking that Pakistan’s cricketers were giving their all; England’s players would be victims, too, because the Spirit of the Game, when you think about it, is about one thing and one thing only: respect for your opponents. But I would argue that Mohammad Amir, rather than one of those allegedly perpetrating the crime, would be the biggest victim and the focus of any investigation should be on those who felt it necessary, and were able, to take advantage of him and of the culture within the team. Or the likes of the middleman who, the News of the World reported, had the wherewithal to waken Amir from his slumbers on the eve of a Test match, address him as “f***er†and announce that instructions could wait until the morning. Now think of Salman Butt, the captain, and the nature of authority in Pakistan itself. When a slip catch disappeared through the cordon at the Brit Insurance Oval, Butt walked towards them and gave them a very public dressing-down. An England captain might have got a flea in his ear had he done the same; in Pakistan you don’t flout authority. Could an 18-year-old resist the wishes of his elders, his superiors? Yesterday, Amir’s coach and mentor from his academy days in Rawalpindi defended his protégé. “My school is run very strictly and with discipline, and my boys here would not do such things,†Asif Bajwa said. Maybe true, but Amir is a part of a very different environment now — the Pakistan cricket team — and it would be the biggest indictment of the culture of them if someone who has only been around for such a short period has been corrupted in that time. Think, for a moment, about the no-balls at the heart of the controversy, the two bowled to order, allegedly, by Amir and the one by Mohammad Asif. Amir’s were enormous, a good foot or so over the front line. Asif’s overstepping of the front line was more measured — an inch or so. If this was deliberate it might be possible to see the difference between a hopelessly naive young man, drawn into a situation beyond his understanding, and a hardened professional with plenty of previous under his belt. And they say both should face equal punishment. Clearly, any cleansing of Pakistan cricket will be a long road because the corruption is so ingrained. It is an uncomfortable truth, but one that must be said of a country run by a Prime Minister, Asif Zadari, whose nickname is “Mr 10 Per Centâ€. Time and again, from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials to people such as Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who admitted to leniency against Wasim Akram because the cricketer was his idol, people in authority have encouraged appalling behaviour. There is a Pakistan Task Team in place, headed by Giles Clarke and including luminaries such as Mike Brearley and Greg Chappell. Their influence must be brought to bear, with the full backing of the ICC, in trying to help to purge the PCB of incompetence and corruption. There are good people in Pakistan cricket. As it happens, during the evening before the allegations became public, I was dining with Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan batsman and former chief executive of the PCB. We got talking, perhaps inevitably, about match-fixing within the Pakistan team in the 1990s when he and I played. We got talking about Imran and Ramiz’s view was that fixing did not happen, would not have happened and could not have happened while Imran was in charge. Leadership is everything here. People such as Ramiz and Imran have to be persuaded to get involved again. Admittedly, if these allegations are proven accurate, to reprieve Amir at the expense of anyone else involved would be arbitrary and, in a sense, unfair. It would give succour to those who argue — rightly — that the events of the past few days are a direct consequence of a failure to act on the excesses of the past. Yet that would be to ignore the obvious: that Amir is a potent symbol right now, of what was, what is and what might be. He should not be punished as an example to the rest, as everyone seems to suggest, rather he should be made aware of the issues, educated, rehabilitated and held up as an example of what can be achieved. Amir’s rehabilitation should be at the heart of the cleansing of Pakistan cricket. The brilliant young bowler is not the cause of the problem but the most tragic consequence of it.

[King Tendulkar]

Times blaming India for being spoil sports in not allowing pak players in IPL. No doubt time directed bt their lead cricket write in jack ass Atherton. So much for the war on terror BS

[Ram]

Super article by Athers!

[Chandan]

To be honest, I agree with Artherton on some points and am quite split when the matter of Md Aamer comes. Should he be punished? Should he be given one more chance? Going softly with Asif who was also the most talented pace bowler to come up in 2005-06, didn't bear fruits and not only did he repeat drug offense but became corrupt as well. Will the same happen to Aamer with all the sympathy that he he getting because of his divine talent, if authorities take a soft stand? Akash Chopra is also one of the sympathiser:

Possibility of Aamer not bowling again is disappointing! Thursday, September 02, 2010 Aakash Chopra For the last one week, cricket has been in news for all the wrong reasons and nothing can be more damaging than bringing the game to disrepute for players who play it for the love of the game. Though the allegations of match-fixing are not new to cricket but I was indeed shocked to hear the latest developments with regards to the alleged involvement of three Pakistan cricketers in spot-fixing. Pakistan, unfortunately, has had a turbulent cricket history but just when their cricket seemed to be rising from the ashes of mystery surrounding Bob Woolmer’s death, the attack on the Sri Lankan team and the subsequent cancellation of further cricket tours to the war ravaged country, this shocking incident happened. Though I’d refrain myself to not jump the gun till the charges are proved but still the allegations are very damaging. What disturbs me more is the involvement of hugely talented teenager Mohammad Aamer in this whole controversy and perhaps it is enough to tell me that all is not well in the Pakistan team because an 18 year old kid could not have done anything wrong by himself. I’d played international cricket when I was 26 and still I looked up to the seniors for every single thing. I would follow their work ethics, their discipline and their conduct. They were the role models who unknowingly ensured that I toed the line with regard to team discipline. But here, it seems the problem is more deep rooted. Also, I’m pinning my hopes on Aamer to be the next big thing in the pace department. It has been a sheer treat to watch him bowl in the last 12 months and if this controversy takes an ugly turn, the possibility of him not bowling again at the highest level is too disappointing to imagine. Many people have asked me if it is this new generation’s lifestyle which has made youngsters vulnerable to the lure of money but I’m convinced that the only factor which corrupts people is greed. And greed is not a poor man’s prerogative, for we have seen even the richest of men succumb to temptations. Greed is apolitical and secular which cuts across all sections of society. So, whoever is working as a professional in an important post is vulnerable. It all depends on the individual’s ethics and principles and I’ve seen the poorest of men with very strong principles. Coming back to this big controversy, I still recall the day when I first heard about this match-fixing a decade back and it was too unconvincing for me to believe. Hansie Cronje was one of the players who were hugely respected for playing the game in the right spirit, and when the news of South African, Pakistan and Indian players being involved in match-fixing broke out, I felt cheated, both as a player and as a fan. It was the betrayal of my trust and faith of the highest order. And I believe that once the faith is breached, it must be restored before moving forward. You simply can’t brush it under the carpet and take the avid followers for granted. Though the impact of this allegation can be largely demeaning, but for me this is a golden opportunity for the administrators to rid this beautiful game from the ugly claws of match-fixing. Once found guilty, the players should be banned for life, their records should be erased as if they never played cricket and also ensure that they never earn a single penny from the game. PCB has failed to take stern actions in the past and that’s what has led to this grave situation where as many as 82 matches are being probed. There are people who seem to be in rush to come to a conclusion on this and have even accused the IPL and players involved to be part of this plague but I can say with my chin up that I’ve never heard about this while playing and I have never been approached by anyone to do anything which interrupted the game to run its natural course. As far as others are concerned, I firmly believe that it’s not fair to paint everyone with the same brush. There’re still a lot of people, in fact majority of people, who play the game for the love of it. And for these men, game comes first and everything else follows. I belong to the same school of thought. Zero tolerance to match-fixing, giving exemplary punishments and educating cricketers is the way forward. For cricket to become a global sport, ICC must fight this menace till the end.

[Ram]

It will be ridiculous if Aamir is given the same punishment as say Asif. For starters, he’s far more younger and more susceptible to manipulation. Even the criminal justice system makes the distinction b/w adults and juveniles when it comes to handing out punishment (though it has to be said, Aamir is no juvenile, he’s probably not even 18 either.. More like 19-20 maybe). Also, this is his first offence. But should he be gently rapped on the knuckles and let go off? Of course NOOOOTTTT! If you do that, you set a bad precedent to the entire world, saying that as long as you’re young and perceived to be misguided, you can get away with almost anything. Anywhere b/w 3-5 years of ban is probably appropriate. The other should be banished for life.

[Fontaine]

So let me get this straight. Amir is old enough to sign sponsorship deals with Pepsi, Boom Boom and other sponsers. Amir is old enough to be called street smart and mature in his bowling. Amir is old enough to accept thousands of pounds from a supposed match fixer. And Amir is certainly old enough to be given the new ball, accept awards like running for the young/breakthrough cricketer or the year award. But he's too young and naive when he cheats and communicates with a fixing agent?? Gimme a freakin' break. If you were 17/18 in college/university and were caught cheating during a test would you expect the professor/teacher to pat you on the back and say "Never mind son, you are young and naive and were probably lead astray by other more mature students?" or Would you expect to be dragged out of the room and in the very least expelled for some significant amount of time no matter how intelligent you were? YES it's sad, YES it sucks. But right is right and wrong is wrong. I was brought up to believe that when you do something wrong deliberately, you accept your wrong doing, accept the responsibility and punishment AND then learn from it and try your best not to do it again. In order for Amir to be given a 2nd chance or for any leniancy doesn't he actually have to admit his wrong doing and show some kind of remorse and dedication in never letting it happen again? As far as Assif is concerned, this cheat has been given chance after chance after chance and all he's done is spit on this game. Ban him for life.

[Dhondy]

If Aamir is the victim, who is the perpetrator? Using poverty as mitigation is just fay. Eighteen year olds are poor the world over, not just in Pakistan. Aamir, at 18, is looking at riches beyond his wildest imagination, if he stays fit. Even a nobody like Shoaib Malik had the means to pay several crores in compensation to his first wife before he could make off with Sania. Pakistani cricketers are rich, not just as rich as Indian cricketers. Besides, if far more impoverished cricketers such as Saqib and Tamim could turn down temptations, why not Aamir? No, Atherton's somewhat hamhanded attempt to generalise the issue stems from his loathing of BCCI and IPL. Not that I have any love for IPL myself... in fact it was singlehandedly responsible for destroying my interest in the game.... but Atherton would have been singing a different tune had he been one of the beneficiaries. You always find a subconscious way of justifying your outrage if the spoils are to be had by others.

[Ram]

Welcome back Doc!

[asterix]

If Aamir is the victim' date= who is the perpetrator?

According to Atherton and his commentator friends, the Perpetators are IPL and Indian bookies.. Atherton heart bleeds when he saw tears welled up in the eyes of his good mate Mike Holding..Holding's love for IPL and India must be laid all bare to him over few glasses of drinks. Atherton feels that's he should join hands with all 'like minded' people to take on the evil empire of India, Indians, IPL and least but not last, the Indian bookies..They don't even know the bookie market in Middle East..All they can see is India..

[punjabi_khota]

Atherton's articles used to be these little irritants but now he has become a major pain in the ass. He is analogies are all wrong, his examples of "changing the culture of team" bullshit in the face of cheat producing factory that is Pakistan.