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Amir Interview

BoyBrumby

Englishman
I thought the whole interview reeks of self-pity and self-regard. If it's his "people's" first step towards rehabilitating his public image then I think it's a bad misfire.

I don't think his explanation has the ring of verisimilitude, especially given his Lordship's refusal to accept his guilty plea on the grounds he didn't believe The Oval was Aamir's first involvement in match/spot fixing.

In a way it's awful he is such a luminous talent because (sanctimonious as I realise this sounds) he seems an unworthy vessel for it.
 
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G.I.Joe

International Coach
There's a very famous film that made Ray Winstone's name set in a British Borstal, the predecessors of today's YOIs for young crims called "Scum".

Things have hopefully improved, but shows they're not exactly a holiday camp.
Definitely not the sort of place I'd want to put up in. Amir didn't seem to walk or sit funny in the interview, so I suppose he watched his back well :ph34r:
 

Agent Nationaux

International Coach
I thought the whole interview reeks of self-pity and self-regard. If it's his "people's" first step towards rehabilitating his public image then I think it's a bad misfire.

I don't think his explanation has the ring of verisimilitude, especially given his Lordship's refusal to accept his guilty plea on the grounds he didn't believe The Oval was Aamir's first involvement in match/spot fixing.

In a way it's awful he is such a luminous talent because (sanctimonious as I realise this sounds) he seems an unworthy vessel for it.
If we could decide on who should and shouldn't receive talent then Kohli would have been a really **** player. :ph34r:
 

Agent Nationaux

International Coach
I think it was a very good PR move on Amir's part. After the interview Atherton and Bob Willis discussed the interview and both were of the opinion that Amir was this poor kid who got mixed up in bad company and was trapped. Willis even went on to say that Amir's ban should be reduced by the ICC. A lot of people must have watched this after programme and I can bet you that they also agreed with Willis.

Ironically Sky is the one who Amir should thank for it.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Surprised Willis has any sympathy at all tbh. Doesn't strike me as the type to take this sort of thing lightly.

In any case, I've always been of the opinion that "poor misled and manipulated young lad" type comments only have any credence if they are spoken by someone other than the "poor manipulated young lad". Amir saying trying to draw sympathy in this way is akin to someone trying to draw positive feelings towards themselves by waxing lyrical about how kind, wonderful and generous they are. It's just not the done thing, and comes across as totally insincere.
 

Cabinet96

Global Moderator
Just got done with the youtube clips.

I think what's getting ignored here,is the reasoning given by Amir that he felt 'obliged' to bowl the no-balls since Mazhar had claimed his friend would remove all trace of the apparent investigation of the text messages and calls by Ali,which was the conversation that took place during the hotel parking.I'm not defending what he did,nor am i saying that he's telling the absolute truth,but it was understandable for him to bowl the no balls because he was scared that if he didn't,Mazhar would ask his 'friend' to open the supposed investigation into the Ali texts again and con Amir.

The performance put on after the no ball,as mentioned by Jono,could well have been done to not make things suspicious,in order to ensure that Mazhar doesn't ask his 'friend'' to open the investigation again.

I'm not defending Amir,but his explanation during the interview is definitely not as laughable as it is being suggested in this thread.Also,people who can understand Urdu would probably get a better idea of his explanation and his true emotions,since the translation in English would miss a bit of that true emotional aspect.

I think anyone who's actually interested in the interview should watch the whole thing,and not rely on twitter and articles alone.They don't cover it that well.
Yeah very much this. At least watch the interview before laughing at the whole thing.

Surprised Willis has any sympathy at all tbh. Doesn't strike me as the type to take this sort of thing lightly.
AWTA, although he did say he thought Amir should have got a life ban after the jail sentences had been announced.
 

Viscount Tom

International Debutant
If we could decide on who should and shouldn't receive talent then Kohli would have been a really **** player. :ph34r:
Kohli flipped the bird to the crowds and is a bit of a ****, but his behaviour isn't as bad as Amir's.

I think it was a very good PR move on Amir's part. After the interview Atherton and Bob Willis discussed the interview and both were of the opinion that Amir was this poor kid who got mixed up in bad company and was trapped. Willis even went on to say that Amir's ban should be reduced by the ICC. A lot of people must have watched this after programme and I can bet you that they also agreed with Willis.

Ironically Sky is the one who Amir should thank for it.
No they shouldn't he cheated and the best point for him to get his voice across was Sky the Beeb would be unlikely to do any of that and any other channel is a joke for cricket really.

People are surprised a lot by Willis, he really isn't as grumpy as it seems, he's Sky's Boycott, cares deeply about the game and the England team hence how he often seems sharp.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Kohli flipped the bird to the crowds and is a bit of a ****, but his behaviour isn't as bad as Amir's.
They're not even slightly comparable. One guy blatantly cheated (whether he was under pressure or not, he was never under duress (at least in a legal sense)) and denied it for months and months and the other guy whinges about sledging.

Yeah I know Agent Nationaux was taking the piss in mentioning Kohli but nevertheless it seems like cheats like Afridi and Aamir get a lot more grace than Kohli, Watson (who I myself give **** to) and others, who are just wankers but at least play the game by the book.
 
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Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
I wouldn't mind doing a poll seeing how many people believe Aamir's story in his interview with Atherton.

Note, that is different to those that sympathise, those that think he should be allowed to be rehabilitated and allowed back into cricket etc.

I just want to know how many people believe that he did the no balls because he believed Butt and Majeed were going to get him off the other smses to Ali.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Yeah interesting you point that out Vic, I thought the exact same thing. Has to be a "lost in translation" moment.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
They're not even slightly comparable. One guy blatantly cheated (whether he was under pressure or not, he was never under duress (at least in a legal sense)) and denied it for months and months and the other guy whinges about sledging.

Yeah I know Agent Nationaux was taking the piss in mentioning Kohli but nevertheless it seems like cheats like Afridi and Aamir get a lot more grace than Kohli, Watson (who I myself give **** to) and others, who are just wankers but at least play the game by the book.
No need to group Afridi in with Amir. Ball and pitch tampering not on a level with fixing.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Obviously not, but the fact is people look the other way when he cheats, similarly to how people say Amir was a victim etc. etc.
 

Stapel

International Regular
Judge rejects Mohammad Amir's plea that spot-fixing role was one-off | Sport | guardian.co.uk

This is also reflected in his sentence (which was downgraded because of his plea and he got another 3 months off because of his background/age).
Thnaks,

Didn't know that. Puts him really back then. What is he? Not the brightests? Or simply trying to downplay his role?

Anyway, whatever the reason he had to get into this, I can imagine that as an 18-year old, one thinks that following captain's orders is a pretty normal, acceptable and decent thing to do. Even if one feels it is wrong. Yet, there is a point where one has to know things are reallt getting too far. Hence, I think Amir's jail time and 5 year ban are just fine.

But Butt's??? Put him away for decade!
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
I don't think anyone would find it "normal" to follow your captain's orders when the orders themselves were so obviously ill-meaning and contrary to the spirit of the game.
 

ramtrike

Cricket Spectator
Athers always seemed a bit apologetic about Aamir's situation, not a surprise he conducted the interview.

I'd think more surprising is what Dravid said to the beeb.
 

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