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

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Michael Atherton pleads for Aamer leniency Former England captain Michael Atherton has urged leniency for Pakistan’s Mohammad Aamer in the fixing scandal that has shaken world cricket because the teenager was in “the grip of evil”. More... SAY IT AIN'T SO, MO By MIKE ATHERTON, 04/09/2010 THE SKY TV box was as subdued as it has ever been last Sunday. Normally a place of fun and laughter, it was as quiet as a church congregation during sermon. Michael Holding, one of the greatest bowlers to have ever played the game, and a man from whom integrity seeps out of every pore, sat throughout the morning with his head in his hands. He was close to tears. Sir Ian Botham, a man who bowled his heart out for his country to the extent that his back is held together now as much by metal as bone, was lost for words. Nasser Hussain, who I once saw walking around the team hotel in Sri Lanka in the early hours of the morning before a Test match unable to sleep, so worried was he about his form, spoke for us all when he said, 'Please don't let it be the kid'. The 'kid' in question was Mohammad Amir, the young, good-looking and prodigiously-talented Pakistan bowler who had blown England away on the second morning at Lord's with a mesmeric spell of left-arm bowling and who now, we had been told, had overstepped the front line twice for a few dollars more. Say it ain't so, Mo. In the hours and days that followed the News of the World investigation that rocked cricket, it was the kid who was at the forefront of my thoughts. I was both angry and sad. Angry because underperforming for money is the worst crime any sportsman can commit. It is worse than doping, because the fixer is deliberately trying to underperform, so deceiving the paying public. Angry, too, because if the allegations proved to be correct, it is likely Amir had been taken advantage of in the most obscene way. The most horrifying part of last week's story was when Mazhar Majeed, the middle man, rang Amir late in the night before the match, called him 'f****r' and then told him instructions could wait until the morning. This was a young man in the grip of evil. I was sad because it is likely that, if guilty, the International Cricket Council will show no leniency towards Amir. Having been criticised for not taking strong enough action during cricket's last match-fixing crisis, they will be unlikely to show any clemency now. Whilst I accept, if guilty, there can be no way back for Salman Butt, the captain, or Mohammad Asif, a cricketer who has enjoyed more lives than a cat, I hope the authorities can find a way to give Amir a second chance. He is a victim in this episode. This is not necessarily arbitrary or unfair, simply a realisation that there are mitigating circumstances for an 18-year old. After all, the killers of James Bulger were released, so it would be grossly unfair to ban a kid for life for overstepping the line twice. But what of cricket now? There is no question the News of the World investigation has shaken it out of any complacency. Those who thought the game was pure, and had been cleansed in the two decades following Hansie Cronje, have had a rude awakening. Nevertheless, I agree with Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the former police chief now head of cricket's Anti Corruption and Security Unit, when he says this is an isolated incident rather than the tip of the iceberg. As for the one-day internationals coming up, it is like stepping on to a plane the day after a crash: There can be no safer time to do it. In the same way, there can be no doubt, given the attention now, that these one-day matches against Pakistan will be clean. But cricket has to use this crisis to re-examine its priorities. Time and again in the last few years it has shown itself to be a greedy, grasping sport - a sport in thrall to money. From administrators who cram the itineraries to bursting point, to international players who hold counties and even their countries to ransom. It has become a sport where integrity is in short supply, the inevitable consequence of which is a week such as it has endured just now. And what of Pakistan? There are calls to throw them out of the sport, since corruption would appear to be endemic within that dressing room. When the Prime Minster of the country itself is nicknamed 'Mr Ten Percent' that is not surprising. But Pakistan have produced some of the most exciting, beguiling and brilliant cricketers the world has ever seen. It is also a country, swamped by floods, war and terrorism, that is in need of help not punishment. It has been a bad week for cricket but the game and the Pakistan cricket team will find a way to stumble on. Even as Mohammad Amir faces the biggest fight of his life, Pakistan prepare to unleash another talented left-armer, the 6ft 10in Mohammad Irfan. He can really bowl; let us hope he gets better advice and support than young Amir.

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Amir's age should be a factor in spot-fixing probe: Lorgat Pakistan's teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamer could escape serious punishment over spot-fixing allegations because of his age, ICC chief executive has suggested.More... Mohammad Aamer's age could save him from life ban, says ICC chief Haroon Lorgat By Lawrence Booth 5th September 2010 Pakistan's teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamer could escape serious punishment over spot-fixing allegations because of his age, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has suggested. The 18-year-old paceman remains in the spotlight after he, Mohammad Asif and Test captain Salman Butt were reportedly hit with 23 charges by the game’s governing body following accusations of deliberate no balls during the Lord’s Test. That has prompted talk of potential life bans, but Lorgat said: ‘In my own honest personal view, yes, I think age would come into account in these matters. But that is something the independent tribunal will have to decide upon.’ Storm: Mohammad Aamer (left) is just 18 and may avoid the life ban facing Salman Butt (right) and Mohammad Asif (behind) The admission came on the day the News of the World claimed a fourth - as yet unnamed - player was being investigated over the spot-fixing claims. The paper also quoted Pakistan Test opener Yasir Hameed saying he had turned down £150,000 from an illegal bookmaker to help throw a game. Hameed was reported to have said some of his team-mates were engaged in wrongdoing ‘almost every match’, adding: ‘It makes me angry because I’m playing my best and they are trying to lose. I wouldn’t get involved. Now God has punished them.’ But Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi last night reacted with disdain. ‘Yasir Hameed is 32, but mentally he is 15 or 16,’ he said. ‘He does this sort of thing all the time, so people know what sort of character he is.’ Disdain: Pakistan's Shahid Afridi has criticised the decision of Yasir Hameed to speak out against his team-mates Hameed later denied he had knowingly spoken to a journalist, claiming in a statement last night that his comments had been ‘largely inaccurately reported’ and alleging the News of the World reporter said he wanted to arrange sponsorship for a Middle East airline. Even so, Hameed, who could now face questioning from the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit, came under fire from Lorgat, who said: ‘I feel extreme disappointment because we’ve got a code in place that obliges players to disclose any sort of information like this.’ As yet more damaging rumours circulated yesterday — with the Anti-Corruption Unit likely to look at Pakistan’s Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to West Indies in 2004, as well as a recent Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka — England Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood said he understood any scepticism among spectators. He said: ‘Of course I do. We all know we’ve got to get to the bottom of this, and everyone in cricket will have to do everything they can to eradicate it from the game.’ Meanwhile, Australia coach Tim Nielsen admitted he had reported suspicious approaches during his time in the job. ‘People love the idea of talking to a player or the coach and getting information behind the scenes,’ he said. ‘It’s almost like we’ve been naive to it. I’m wondering now about a lot of things. Why do people do it? How will the game survive? 'How can we ensure people feel they still have a great team to follow? People are going to question results in all games, but especially against Pakistan.’ It was also claimed yesterday that the ICC have been monitoring the behaviour of a prominent Sri Lankan international after captain Kumar Sangakkara passed on teammates’ concerns that the player was spending time with a man they believed to be an illegal bookmaker.

[Holysmoke]

Yeah, i guess he shouldn't be given a life ban. 10 year ban is good enough.

[TheWall]

this m.atherton is such a SOB!

[vamos_rafa]

I don't agree. A sin is a sin and com'on he's 18+. Does not he know getting money for bowling a no-ball is WRONG. BTW nice to know that Hameed is 32. Atleast someone,apart from MoYO, crossed the 30+ barrier in the paki XI

[TheWall]

If age is a factor, then none of the pakis will be punished as they never age...

[Karan114]

One can only imagine his reaction if an Indian cricketer was implicated - India/BCCI destroying the game, shove them out before they corrupt it further etc.

[saneindian]

SHould not be let off. They did the same with Akhtar, Asif and see the monster they have become now. Can't repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

[Nova]

Yes age will be a mitigating factor. I guess 2-3 year ban if found guilty and give him a chance to redeem himself...especially if it is found out that he bowled the no ball under the influence of his captain. He can clear his head and come back.

[TheWall]

Yes age will be a mitigating factor. I guess 2-3 year ban if found guilty and give him a chance to redeem himself...especially if it is found out that he bowled the no ball under the influence of his captain. He can clear his head and come back.

+1

[vamos_rafa]

Yes age will be a mitigating factor. I guess 2-3 year ban if found guilty and give him a chance to redeem himself...especially if it is found out that he bowled the no ball under the influence of his captain. He can clear his head and come back.

Agreed to an extent but what if the rest of the other players also make the same arguement and say that we were coaxed to do this. At the end of the day it depends on the individual unless some very serious threats were involved.

[DomainK]

I don't agree. A sin is a sin and com'on he's 18+. Does not he know getting money for bowling a no-ball is WRONG. BTW nice to know that Hameed is 32. Atleast someone,apart from MoYO, crossed the 30+ barrier in the paki XI

Age and circumstances have always played a vital role in determining punishment for any convict. Even a murder convict can get sympathy because of age and circumstances. Aamer will get advantage on both counts. He is just 18 and if his captain turns out to be a fixer, he will laso get advantage of circumstances.

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Geoffrey Boycott: Mohammad Amir plea bargain might unlock truth behind claims Former England cricket captain Geoffrey Boycott on Monday said the ICC has never dealt with corruption cases involving Pakistan properly and the body should hand over the latest spot-fixing scandal to ex-players such as him if it cannot punish the implicated players hard enough. More... Geoffrey Boycott: Mohammad Amir plea bargain might unlock truth behind claims People close to the Pakistan investigation say that the three players might not have committed a criminal offence, because you can't lay bets on no-balls in the UK. By Geoffrey Boycott 06 Sep 2010 Young and impressionable: Mohammad Amir is just 18 Photo: AP But I will tell you this Рwhat they did looks like a crime against cricket. And if there is no firm response from the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, we might as well disband it. As for the Pakistan High Commissioner, he should get off his high horse. Spot-fixing cannot be condoned. There is no conspiracy against Pakistan here, and by claiming that he is "100 per cent convinced" that the players are innocent, he is not looking at the evidence. I am particularly concerned about the size of the no-balls sent down by Mohammad Amir. Professional cricketers play the game within small fractions. It is hard to see how he could have run up and bowled a no-ball by 12 inches without realising he is going to overstep. In normal circumstances, he would know at least two strides before he gets to the crease, and would abort his run-up. As for the captain, he is the person who decides who will bowl the next over. So if the fixer is saying "the third ball of the first over", the bowler can't do it without having the captain onside. The evidence looks so bad that, whatever the police make of this case, the ACSU will be under pressure to take strong action. Within the disciplinary hearings, the burden of proof might as well be reversed: it is up to the players to prove themselves innocent. Because it is so crucial for cricket, I think the ACSU should offer Mohammed Amir a plea bargain. Tell us the truth about what took place and he can get off with a lighter sentence. If he won't play ball, then make an example of him. I feel for Amir, because any 18-year-old is likely to get dragged along by his seniors. But I still believe that he deserves a lengthy ban Рseven years, perhaps Рif he is shown to have bowled no-balls to order. As for the others, they should be treated even more harshly, because they have no excuse. It is no coincidence that Pakistan are repeatedly implicated in these scandals, because they never deal with them properly. People might get suspended or banished from the team, but within a few months the regime changes, and they are back again, as if nothing had happened. We saw a typical example with Mohammad Yousuf on this very tour. I am not saying that he was kicked out for match-fixing Рwe don't really know Рbut that the to-ing and fro-ing was typical of Pakistan cricket. One minute he's in disgrace, the next he's on the field. Now look at the Indians and their response to the revelations surrounding the Hansie Cronj̩ affair 10 years ago. Mohammad Azharuddin and Manoj Prabhakar were among the players implicated. They were never convicted in a criminal case, but the Indian board was strong. They never played for India again, nor did Ajay Jadeja, even though his ban was quashed in 2003. The selectors cannot be forced to pick people they don't want to pick. Having these sort of players in your dressing-room can damage the team's morale, as well as its credibility. Pakistan must join the rest of the cricket world in deploring what happened at Lord's. There is no point them trying to turn a blind eye. The PCB has been treated with a lot of sympathy since the terrorist attacks, just over 18 months ago, which meant that they were unable to host international cricket. But that will dry up very quickly if they fail to address what has been going on. No one will want to host their matches. Shakespeare wrote that Caesar's wife must be above reproach. The same must be true of cricket. And that means dealing harshly with anyone who casts a shadow on it. If the ACSU aren't prepared to take this case seriously, they should hand this case over to the former players Рpeople like myself, Ian Botham and Michael Holding, who played tough, competitive cricket throughout our careers. I can promise you, we wouldn't mess about.

[ravishingravi]

Nailed it

[Rajan]

very forthright. i agree with the plea bargain and the 7 years sentence too. Sir Geoffrey is correct about this...

[TheWall]

Its not going to happen. Within 3 months all the 3 criminals will be back in the paki circus group headed the beast itself..

[Karan114]

Boycott is spot on but I think Amir will get away lightly given the sympathy wave towards him.

[Nova]

Agreed to an extent but what if the rest of the other players also make the same arguement and say that we were coaxed to do this. At the end of the day it depends on the individual unless some very serious threats were involved.

That's how it is. Let's not underestimate the influence of a captain. If you remember in 2000, Henry Williams and Gibbs were banned for six months for underperforming. Cronje the captain was the main culprit and he was rightly banned for life. Give a listen to this interesting interview which Henry Williams gave yesterday on BBC Radio 5 live --> http://www.mediafire.com/?l2xgjaxiubu063w I have a feeling that Aamer got caught up in this. If that's the case, he should get a second chance. Why do we have to think that rehabilitation is not a option? It's easy for us to say ban the young bowler for life but punishment should also fit the crime taking into consideration the circumstances involved. Having said that, investigation is not yet complete. Let all the evidence come out and things will be more clear as to exactly what happened.

[SachDan]

Well said Geoffrey :two_thumbs_up:

It is no coincidence that Pakistan are repeatedly implicated in these scandals, because they never deal with them properly. People might get suspended or banished from the team, but within a few months the regime changes, and they are back again, as if nothing had happened. Now look at the Indians and their response to the revelations surrounding the Hansie Cronjé affair 10 years ago. Mohammad Azharuddin and Manoj Prabhakar were among the players implicated. They were never convicted in a criminal case, but the Indian board was strong. They never played for India again, nor did Ajay Jadeja, even though his ban was quashed in 2003. The selectors cannot be forced to pick people they don't want to pick. Having these sort of players in your dressing-room can damage the team's morale, as well as its credibility.

Don't know how many of our padosis "lost respect" for Boycott after reading this :)

[saneindian]

I can visualise a scenario where Butt and Asif are banned for life , Amir gets a 2 years ban or something. And then Butt/Asif will spill the beans on Amir and portray Amir as a real villain too.