OTD | News of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, and Salman Butt being involved in match-fixing scandal broke

The infamous match-fixing scandal involving three Pakistani cricketers rocked the cricketing world in 2010. The dark side of the game of cricket was exposed when a British tabloid conducted a stunning sting operation during the Lord’s Test match between England and Pakistan.

Three of Pakistan’s top cricketers – Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt – were convicted of taking bribes from a sporting agent, Mazhar Majeed. The 35-year-old allegedly claimed to have bribed the cricketers to deliberately bowl no-balls during the match.   

According to reports, Majeed accepted £150,000 and arranged a spot-fix. Pace bowlers Amir and Asif were directed to bowl o-balls at pre-decided moments during the fixture. The report also included footage of Majeed predicting what kind of delivery Amir would deliver in the first over of England’s innings. 

Along with the then-Pakistan captain Salman Butt,  wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and three other unnamed Pakistan players were also reportedly part of the scandal. However, Akmal and other players were later cleared of having played any role in this spot-fixing saga. 

The incident created a huge stir in the cricket world. The International Cricket Council (ICC) was involved in the matter and formed a tribunal that included its anti-corruption unit and Scotland Yard. Following the investigation, Butt was banned for 10 years (with a five-year suspended sentence); Asif was banned for seven years (with two years suspended) and Amir was banned for five years featuring in any form of cricket.  

When Amir returned to international cricket in 2016, Butt and Asif bid farewell to the game. Notably, the left-arm pacer’s comeback game was in a Test match at the same venue – Lord’s. He was part of the Pakistan squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, where the Men in Green made an early exit after suffering embarrassing defeats, including against the USA.