Ramiz fears bad company may have led to Amir's spot fixing predicament

Lahore, Sep 1 : Defending young fast bowler Mohammad Amir, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has expressed sympathy for him, saying that the greater blame lay with the men who had led him astray so early in his career.

The Pakistan team is in the midst of a betting scam, where fast bowlers Amir and Asif are alleged to have bowled pre-arranged no-balls in the Lord’s Test against England.

Amir was a revelation during the recent four-Test series against England, in which he collected 19 wickets at an average of 18.36 and proved unplayable at times in helpful swinging conditions.

He picked up consecutive five-wicket hauls in the final two Tests, including a career-best 6 for 84 in England’s only innings at Lord’s.

“To see an 18-year old boy being dragged into the controversy is the worse part. He had the world, everyone was raving about the talent and praising him,” Ramiz told Cricinfo.

He said it is such a sad moment in cricket, and added: “Amir comes from a humble background.”

“He is 18, with an impressionable mind, and if he has been keeping bad company, it’s possible he could have been drawn [into wrongdoing],” Ramiz said.

“But if that’s the case, then the guys who got him in should be put behind bars because they’ve spoilt a grand career. They’ve infiltrated and spoilt a young mind, and it’s such a shocking state of affairs,” he said.