Mohammad Amir returns six years on from England vs Pakistan Lord’s Test that shamed cricket forever

Mohammad Amir arrives during day one of the Investec Test match at Lord's
Anthony Devlin/PA Wire
Tom Collomosse14 July 2016

Few cricketing contests capture the imagination quite so effectively as when England meet Pakistan.

During the 61-year history of these matches, we have seen umpires abused and heard arguments about ball-tampering. We have seen fighting on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s, witnessed a Pakistan no-show at The Oval and, six years ago, learned about arguably the most shocking corruption scandal in the history of the game.

Whatever happens during the forthcoming Investec Series, comprising four Tests during the next month, it would be a surprise if the action were confined solely to the field of play. The battle began today at the home of cricket but whether there will be a story to match Lord’s 2010 is another matter.

Prior to the final Test of the year in England, the narrative of the summer had been compelling enough. Pakistan had played Australia in a two-Test series in June. They lost the first at Lord’s and Shahid Afridi promptly quit as captain. His replacement, Salman Butt, led his team to victory at Headingley and the contest ended 1-1.

When Butt secured his second win, against England at The Kia Oval, his team went to Lord’s with a chance of drawing the series 2-2. Mohammad Amir bowled a remarkable spell on the second morning, removing Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan.

Yet until today, he was remembered only for the two illegal deliveries he bowled — one on the first day, one on the second — that would ultimately bring him a five-year suspension and a spell in a young offenders’ institution. His fellow bowler, Mohammad Asif, and Butt were punished in similar manner, after an expose by the News of the World that revealed the trio had conspired with a fourth man, Mazhar Majeed, to fix parts of the Lord’s Test.

England would win the match, and the series 3-1, thanks to centuries from Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad. Unsurprisingly, Broad’s principal memories are not of his magnificent 169.

“I remember having room service at the hotel on the Saturday night,” recalls Broad. “I was watching TV with Matt Prior and we had a text from Paul Collingwood that said, ‘Turn on the news now’.

“We were wondering if we’d even be playing on the Sunday, or whether the game would be cancelled. Lord’s was very quiet and there was a very weird feeling in the changing room. We did our warm-ups but Pakistan didn’t take the field, which was a first; a bit strange.

“The main memory was the lack of celebration for a Test series win. It was as though all the energy and happiness had been dragged out of winning a Test match for England.”

Butt, generally considered the ringleader, had appeared a charming, eloquent figure during that tour. Here was a man who appeared genuinely committed to improving Pakistan cricket. How first impressions can deceive.

At the post-match press conference, Butt, whose English was flawless, suddenly feigned not to understand some of the questions. Giles Clarke, ECB chairman at the time, wore an expression of pure disgust as he presented the man-of-the-series award to Amir. Just 18 at the time, Amir looked haunted. Stories have since emerged about a chronic lack of discipline within that Pakistan squad. The venom spilled into the subsequent one-day series, where Trott and Wahab Riaz nearly came to blows on the Nursery Ground before a match at Lord’s.

Graeme Swann was another involved that day. The off-spinner claimed five wickets — the first time he had done so at Lord’s — in the second innings, but he felt little joy in the achievement. Swann, who retired in 2013, has no doubt who was most culpable.

“I blamed it all on Butt,” Swann told BBC World Service. “There was a lot of anger in the team towards him, almost hatred towards him. He had ruined the Test match.

“I’m not forgiving the other two. I thought they should all have been banned for life and never allowed to play again. If they have a job in cricket, it should have been in education.

“They should have been going to schools or speaking to young international players. They should be saying, ‘This is what happened to me’. They shouldn’t have played again.

“My overriding memory of the final day of the game was the surreal atmosphere. It was almost as though someone had died. We would take a wicket and there would be no celebration at all. I got five wickets and I didn’t celebrate any of them.”

Swann’s words bring back vivid recollections. They remind us that however much we hope to enjoy excellent cricket between these two teams, this stain on the game should never be forgotten.

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