Mohammad Amir claims Butt, Majeed tricked him into spot-fixing

Karachi, Mar 20(ANI): Spot-fixing convict Mohammad Amir has claimed Salman Butt and Mazhar Majeed trapped him into becoming involved in the scandal that led to six-month prison sentence and a ban from the game.

He gave his version of events for the first time and described he felt betrayed by Butt, whom he once considered as an "elder brother", The Telegraph reports.

Amir claimed Majeed summoned him to his grey sports car on the eve of the Lord's Test and, with Butt in the back seat, explained how he was already facing an International Cricket Council probe for match- fixing.

It was revealed by the prosecution at the Southwark Crown Court that Amir had sent suspicious texts to a businessman in Dubai, vaguely referred to as "Ali".

Amir claimed Majeed and Butt used these texts to trap him into their plan to bowl no-balls during the fourth Test against England in 2010.

"I was in the hotel, I think, and I received a call from Mazhar saying that I should go to the car park because he wanted to talk to me about something very important. So I went out and Mazhar had a grey coloured car in the parking area. I went and sat next to him in the front seat," he added.

Amir said he was "churning" inside when he bowled no-balls at Lord's Test.

"I was cursing myself. I wondered what was happening. I knew that it was cheating cricket; that it was out of order, and that it shouldn't happen," he said

"It was a really horrible feeling. Then, I thought, on the other hand, that they are being kind to me and helping me. I thought that they are saving me and if I don't do it, it might become a problem for me. That's what I was thinking at the time. Then I did it," he added.

Amir is currently in Pakistan attempting to rebuild his life after serving half his jail term in a young offenders' institute. (ANI)