Pained Imran Khan reflects on Pakistan's cricketing 'shame'

Lahore, Nov.4 (ANI): Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan has termed the jailing of three cricketers - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - as a 'shameful day' for cricket in his country.

"These players see corrupt people flourishing in our society and think they can get away with anything. It's a shameful day for Pakistan cricket. I feel very bad for Mohammad Aamer because he's still young. I think he saw others doing it and thought he could get away with it as well," The Sun quoted Imran, as saying.

Expressing his anguish and pain over the recent developments in Pakistan cricket, the former captain said the punishments are a wake-up call for Pakistan cricket and criticised the previous cricket boards for sweeping the matter under the carpet.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying: "We should not hide behind the justification that it (fixing) happens in international cricket. It does happen, but Pakistan should set its house in order first and anyone involved should be punished."

He added: "The verdict is a wake-up call for Pakistan cricket and from now on we should be ultra careful and, like we did in the past, should never allow the corruption to set in."

Former Test captain Butt received 30 months, fast bowler Asif received one year in jail and 19-year-old Aamer was jailed for six months.

Butt, 27 and 28-year-old Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of deliberately bowling three no-balls during the Lord's Test in August 2010 as part of a "spot-fixing" betting scam uncovered by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World.

Aamer and players's agent Mazhar Majeed, sent down for 32 months, had already pleaded guilty to involvement in the scam.

"It is painful to listen (to) the news as a former Pakistan cricketer and I feel really sorry for their families," Khan said.

He added: "In a way I also feel sorry for these cricketers because they are from Pakistan where there are massive corruption cases against president (Asif Zardari) and they must have thought crime pays."

Another former captain Ramiz Raja said he has no sympathy for the players.

"I have always maintained that in a team when the rest of the guys are fighting to win a game and two or three are fighting against it, trying to sell their souls to the devil, they cannot be afforded any sympathy," said Raja.

He added: "They hurt Pakistan cricket, their fans and even though it may sound rough to some of the fans but justice has been done and they deserved the punishment they got."

Raja said the verdict would serve Pakistan cricket well.

"Even though it's a sad situation for their families, justice has been done. You need to rid such elements from the game and it's good for Pakistan cricket," Raja said.

Former England fast bowler Darren Gough said: "I would have liked to see the sentences given out to be longer."

Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif said: "They deserved this punishment. But now the Pakistan government and cricket board should also take action against them." (ANI)