Pakistan banned pace bowler Muhammad Aamir turned down the offer to become an approver in spot-fixing scandal against his team-mates, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif.
"Aamir was offered time and again to become an 'approver' to avoid punishment but he rejected the offers and stood by Salman and Asif," said the sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board here on Tuesday.
"At one stage he was assured that if he tends to be an approver he can be a part of Pak squad for the World Cup but he turned down such offers and suffered the punishment of a five years ban by an ICC tribunal probing into spot-fixing allegations arose during Lords test in England," said the sources.
They said Aamir gave a sacrifice and refused to speak against his two colleagues as doing so could have brought much heavier punishment to them (Salman and Asif) and paved the way for Aamir not to suffer any penalty.
Pakistan quick M Aamir has promised to come back from the "worst day of my life" after receiving a five-year ban from cricket for his part in a spot-fixing scandal.
An International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal in Doha on Saturday also handed out longer bans to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and seamer Asif for the roles they played in bowling deliberate no-balls during last year's Test against England at Lord's.
Britain's News of the World tabloid alleged the three cricketers had colluded in a betting scam organised by UK-based agent Mazhar Majeed. Prior to the scandal, Aamir was regarded as one of the hottest properties in world cricket after the teenage left-arm quick had troubled both Australia and England with some superb displays of swing bowling.
And the thought that at the age of 18 his career might be over was almost too much for Aamir to comprehend. "What can I say about my feelings?," Aamir said.
"Aamir was offered time and again to become an 'approver' to avoid punishment but he rejected the offers and stood by Salman and Asif," said the sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board here on Tuesday.
"At one stage he was assured that if he tends to be an approver he can be a part of Pak squad for the World Cup but he turned down such offers and suffered the punishment of a five years ban by an ICC tribunal probing into spot-fixing allegations arose during Lords test in England," said the sources.
They said Aamir gave a sacrifice and refused to speak against his two colleagues as doing so could have brought much heavier punishment to them (Salman and Asif) and paved the way for Aamir not to suffer any penalty.
Pakistan quick M Aamir has promised to come back from the "worst day of my life" after receiving a five-year ban from cricket for his part in a spot-fixing scandal.
An International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal in Doha on Saturday also handed out longer bans to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and seamer Asif for the roles they played in bowling deliberate no-balls during last year's Test against England at Lord's.
Britain's News of the World tabloid alleged the three cricketers had colluded in a betting scam organised by UK-based agent Mazhar Majeed. Prior to the scandal, Aamir was regarded as one of the hottest properties in world cricket after the teenage left-arm quick had troubled both Australia and England with some superb displays of swing bowling.
And the thought that at the age of 18 his career might be over was almost too much for Aamir to comprehend. "What can I say about my feelings?," Aamir said.
