“Big mistake, lost 9 years”: Pakistan star, aiming for T20 World Cup comeback, on spot-fixing saga

After a five-year suspension and a four-year international hiatus, Mohammad Amir is sick and tired of former Pakistani stars repeatedly highlighting their involvement in the infamous spot-fixing scandal that rocked the cricket world in 2010. “I did it.” Atonement for that big mistake and if you look at my career I was banned from 2010 to 2015 and took retirement from 2020 to 2024, so I have lost nine years, but I take it as God’s will. I have accepted and moved on,” Aamir told media persons.

Aamir, who was only 19 in 2010, had deliberately over-stepped with fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif at the behest of former captain Salman Butt and they were all caught in the ‘News of the World’ expose. All three were briefly jailed in Britain, where fixing is a crime, but were later released.

The ICC banned him for five years between 2010 and 2015. Only Aamir made a successful comeback to international cricket and was the hero of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy win over India in the UK in 2017.

However, in 2020, he retired from all forms of international cricket after his differences with former PCB chief Ramiz Raja came to the fore.

Ramiz and some other Pakistani players have been vocal about the Pakistan cricket establishment giving them a second chance after their apparent involvement in corruption.

He has faced a lot of criticism even after coming out of retirement and being given direct entry into the Pakistan team without playing domestic cricket.

He said, “Some people have criticized my and Imad’s selection without playing domestic cricket.”

Aamir responded to the critics by clarifying that the PSL is a domestic tournament where he and another comeback player, Imad Wasim, play regularly.

“I ask him what is Pakistan’s premier domestic T20 event? PSL. And both of us (Imad) have played and performed in the PSL apart from regularly featuring in other leagues. So what was the point in selecting us for the T20 format? Is it wrong? Aamir said that it would have been very wrong if the selectors had selected him for Test or ODI.

“I myself have always said that players should gain experience in domestic first-class and other competitions to be considered for the national team. But in our case we are only playing T20 cricket and our form and fitness is for all to see. ” He also confirmed that former Test captain Mohammad Hafeez had called him last year and asked if he would consider coming out of retirement.

“It was nice of him (he was the Pakistan team director) and he said I can still play for Pakistan, but I told him that given the uncertainty in the cricket board and the team, I would prefer to stay out of international cricket “

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)