The father of Pakistan’s jailed former cricket captain Salman Butt on Tuesday accused disgraced bowler Mohammed Aamer of falsely pinning all the blame on his son in order to revive his career. Aamer, in his first interview since being released from a British prison, this week accused Butt of trapping him into the spot-fixing scandal at the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010. Butt and fellow team mate Mohammad Asif are serving sentences of 30 and 12 months respectively, after a British court in November found the trio guilty of corruption and receiving illegal money.
The charges were related to deliberate no-balls bowled by Asif and Aamer, but allegedly contrived by Butt in association with agent Mazhar Majeed, also sentenced for 32 months. The three players were also banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a minimum of five years each. In an interview with former England captain Mike Atherton broadcast on Sky Sports on Monday and translated by Sky into English from Urdu, Aamer said: “I’m so angry with Salman. “He should have helped me instead of involving me in all this,” he added. However Zulfiqar, Butt’s father, responded by accusing Aamer of lying.”Aamer on record said before the ICC tribunal that Butt did not ask him to bowl no-balls and then before the UK court last year he said the same, so was he lying then or now? I definitely think he is lying now,” Zulfiqar told AFP. The Pakistan Cricket Board said last month it would rehabilitate Aamer and would consider him for selection once his ban expires. Zulfiqar said Aamer is lying to revive his career.
“Aamer’s latest interview suggests that he wants to revive his career and that’s why he is accusing my son. We have gone through hell and Aamer is trying to put more trouble on us,” said Zulfiqar.
The family say Butt’s youngest son — born minutes after he was sentenced on November 3 — has been refused a British visa needed to visit his father. “We hope our bad days are over sooner than later,” said Zulfiqar.
