Mohammad Amir, the disgraced Pakistani bowler, has for the first time revealed the identity of the man with whom he exchanged text messages that led to him being drawn into “spot-fixing” during a Test match against England at Lord's in the summer of 2010.
He described him as a “businessman” named Ali, whom he had met in Dubai and Lahore, but he insisted that they never discussed match or spot-fixing. He claimed that he did not suspect anything even when Ali asked him for his bank account details. He told his captain Salman Butt of his conversations with Ali —information that Butt and his agent Mazhar Majeed then used to pressure him into bowling the no-balls in the Lord's Test.
In his first television interview since he was released from prison last month, Amir told Michael Atherton, former England captain, how Majeed “conned” him into bowling the no-balls by claiming the International Cricket Council knew about his emails to Ali and that he was in big trouble.
Majeed also claimed that he could “save” him as he knew the ICC officials handling the case, but said in return, Amir must do him a “favour” by bowling no-balls the next day.
Amir said that Butt was present throughout his conversation with Majeed, which took place in a hotel car park. Next day, on the field, Butt reminded him about the no-balls and pressured him into bowling them.
“I felt ashamed doing it and was cursing myself, but I was scared after they had told me that I was in trouble with the ICC,” Amir said.
Amir said that at no stage did Majeed or Butt mention money. He said that he was just 18 and was not able to handle the pressures his new celebrity status had brought him.
“In prison, I kept asking myself, how did this happen? It was as if I was living a nightmare.” He said he “messed up” and apologised to cricket lovers around the world for his actions. He also warned young cricketers against making the mistakes he made.
“I am sorry and I apologise to cricket lovers everywhere,” he said, describing the moment he was handcuffed as the “worst moment” of his life.
