"I ask for forgiveness from fans": Nasir Jamshed

[Ball Blazer]

Former Pakistan cricketer Nasir Jamshaid has issued a public apology to fans at home and abroad for his involvement in a 2017 spot-fixing and bribery scandal tied to T20 matches, including a PSL game.

Speaking in his first interview since being arrested in Birmingham in February 2017 and later convicted, Jamshaid admitted he struggled deeply during his time in custody and even had suicidal thoughts.

In February 2020, Manchester Crown Court sentenced him to 17 weeks in prison and imposed a 10-year ban from all cricket.

At his home near Birmingham, Jamshaid told a local Pakistani channel:

“I apologise to Pakistanis and cricket fans all over the world. I am ashamed. What I did was completely wrong. My advice to newcomers is never to get involved in corrupt practices because it can destroy you and the people around you. There is too much suffering in it. Learn from my experience.”

He said: “I wanted to end my life on many occasions. There was no hope for me after what I did, but my wife Dr Samara saved my life. She helped me a lot. She would send me pictures of our daughter Haniya Jamshaid, and that would bring positivity to my mind — that I would live for her and fight for her in whatever means I can. My wife and my daughter saved my life. I can never thank my wife enough for what she did for me.”

“I would be thankful to Mohsin Naqvi if he can consider my request. I have already completed nine years of my ban.”

“I was involved in the conspiracy with Yousef Anwar. He told me that he wanted to meet Pakistani players in Dubai and asked for my help to facilitate the contacts. I facilitated his contact with Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif and urged them to meet Yousef and help him in exchange for money.”

He said: “From the moment I was arrested by the NCA, my lawyer Shahid Ali advised me not to plead guilty, to cease all contact with the PCB, and to maintain that I had not taken part in the spot-fixing conspiracy. He asked me to give no comment to the police. I told him during our first meeting and subsequent meetings exactly what had happened and what my role was — that I was guilty of corruption.

“I went for no comment during my police interviews, but I could tell from the questioning that they had full evidence against me. I told Shahid Ali the same, but he insisted I should not plead guilty and said he would find some way to save me.”

“He assured me everything would be alright and that he would handle everything to my satisfaction. He failed me through bad advice. He was only interested in making money.”

Jamshaid said: “I was assured again and again by Shahid Ali that the audio involving me, Yousef and the secret officer was not damaging and inaudible in many parts. He lied to me. I was shattered to learn the recordings were very clear and that my solicitor had not told my barrister about their contents. I immediately decided to change my defence to a guilty plea on the sixth day of the trial.”

“I desperately needed money at that time because my father had suffered a brain haemorrhage and was in a coma in ICU for many months. I needed funds for his treatment. I was too embarrassed to ask my wife for help. I thought I was helping my family, but I didn’t realise I was about to ruin many lives, including my own, through reckless judgment. I deeply regret it and wish I could turn back time. I have paid a huge price.”

“Shahid Ali gave me completely wrong advice and got me into more mess than I was already in. My life was turned upside down. He told me that if I pleaded guilty, I would lose my family and go to jail, so I was scared.”

 

[Major]

Where are all the pp posters now that claimed he was innocent? And that pcb had no case?

 

[Savak]

Hyderabad has picked Sharjeel Khan again. These revelations will hurt Sharjeel

 

[Varun]

Not forgiven.

Keep repenting at home.

 

[Major]

His father illness thing is just bs. Nasir Jamshed was spot fixing for a very long time. He was known for doing it in the Bangaldesh Premier league, but due to lack of evidence he got away. This was many years before he got caught later.

Than he was a regular in the Pakistan Cricket team under Misbah's captaincy. He was making good money, and was the getting league contracts.

He only got caught later in his career, so the father illness may have coincided, but dont give us this lie.

Still i appreciate that he has apologised to the nation and fans. Something that Amir, Butt and Asif never did. Nor have Khalid Latif or Sharjeel khan and neither has Danish Kaneria.

One reason for him to be asking for forgiveness is his daughter. She is becoming a cricketer and Nasir is training her. I hope she does become a very good cricketer in England. Its good to see Jamshed for the first time is not being selfish and being selfless here for his daughter.

Still its sad what a career he could have had. His father had moved to United States aswell, so he could had later started his career with US aswell.

What really annoys me is that he destroyed Khalid Latif's career. Khalid was the best batsman to come from Karachi after Younis Khan. He was an ideal T20 opener for us before Saim Ayub etc came up.

This is why i admire guys like Khurram Manzoor. He did not get the same chances as Jamshed, be it national team or PSL. Quitely grinded in domestic cricket, and had the same contacts as Khalid and Sharjeel, but never indulged in corruption. Yet guys like Nasir Jamshed made illegal money, cried that they had little money, and still played for Pakistan.

 

[Kroll]

His father illness thing is just bs. Nasir Jamshed was spot fixing for a very long time. He was known for doing it in the Bangaldesh Premier league, but due to lack of evidence he got away. This was many years before he got caught later.

Than he was a regular in the Pakistan Cricket team under Misbah's captaincy. He was making good money, and was the getting league contracts.

He only got caught later in his career, so the father illness may have coincided, but dont give us this lie.

Still i appreciate that he has apologised to the nation and fans. Something that Amir, Butt and Asif never did. Nor have Khalid Latif or Sharjeel khan and neither has Danish Kaneria.

One reason for him to be asking for forgiveness is his daughter. She is becoming a cricketer and Nasir is training her. I hope she does become a very good cricketer in England. Its good to see Jamshed for the first time is not being selfish and being selfless here for his daughter.

Still its sad what a career he could have had. His father had moved to United States aswell, so he could had later started his career with US aswell.

What really annoys me is that he destroyed Khalid Latif's career. Khalid was the best batsman to come from Karachi after Younis Khan. He was an ideal T20 opener for us before Saim Ayub etc came up.

This is why i admire guys like Khurram Manzoor. He did not get the same chances as Jamshed, be it national team or PSL. Quitely grinded in domestic cricket, and had the same contacts as Khalid and Sharjeel, but never indulged in corruption. Yet guys like Nasir Jamshed made illegal money, cried that they had little money, and still played for Pakistan.

He should have just stuck to his apology and spared us the details.

 

[Major]

Would further want to add, there was a campaign started by posters here against Najem Sethi aswell..

Posters claimed that Najem Sethi had started this conspiracy against him and sharjeel khan. lol the chairman pcb doing this. They were angry that why Sethi exposed their fixing.

 

[Major]

He should have just stuck to his apology and spared us the details.

Nope, he should share the details because he lied and his wife lied too. Back in the day, his wife was threatning everyone with legal notices, than had to take a u turn later.

A lot of posters here spread garbage against Sethi and even claim till this day that Sharjeel was innocent.

The record needs to be set straight and i think he approached PCB first and they hold him he will only get leniancy if he comes clean and spill the beans to the public now.

 

[Varun]

Pakistani fixers will ask for forgiveness after playing dumb all along - don't forgive them.

 

[Kroll]

Nope, he should share the details because he lied and his wife lied too. Back in the day, his wife was threatning everyone with legal notices, than had to take a u turn later.

A lot of posters here spread garbage against Sethi and even claim till this day that Sharjeel was innocent.

The record needs to be set straight and i think he approached PCB first and they hold him he will only get leniancy if he comes clean and spill the beans to the public now.

That's the thing, if he was lying before, then how can we take anything he says as credible.

 

[Major]

That's the thing, if he was lying before, then how can we take anything he says as credible.

because the parties presiding the case found evidence enough to find sharjeel and khalid latif guilty aswell

 

[Major]

Pakistani fixers will ask for forgiveness after playing dumb all along - don't forgive them.

while i agree with this, but doesnt India follow Danish Kaneria as a hindu spokesperson when he talks against Pakistan?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Lol he blames his lawyer for not telling him about the recordings clarity.

My brother, it's your fault. You should have known what you said.

You can't hope your lawyer gets you off on a technicality knowing full well you are guilty, and then stick the knife in him 9 years later by blaming him.

Man was shocked at the quality of evidence against him, not shocked that he was a bloody fixer.

 

[Varun]

while i agree with this, but doesnt India follow Danish Kaneria as a hindu spokesperson when he talks against Pakistan?

I couldn't care less about any cricketer's religion.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

while i agree with this, but doesnt India follow Danish Kaneria as a hindu spokesperson when he talks against Pakistan?

Hindu or Muslim, he was a fixer too.

 

[Concerned]

Good to see he understood the risks associated following Amir, Salman and Asif antics but chose to ignore

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Lol I had forgotten all about that parody accounbt, it's been years!

ButNasir Jamshed, what a scumball he turned out to be.

I still remember thinking at the time that maybe Pakistan had a gun batsman.

Man his statement made me remember the parody account. It was gold back in the day.

Nasir had talent..but always took short cut. I'm sure he got caught cheating in some school exams too and got arrested. I can't remember the story why a cricketer was doing school exam but remember the arrest.

 

[Varun]

Nasir had talent..but always took short cut. I'm sure he got caught cheating in some school exams too and got arrested. I can't remember the story why a cricketer was doing school exam but remember the arrest.

You get arrested for cheating on a school exam!?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

You get arrested for cheating on a school exam!?

He had received a copy of the stolen paper beforehand or something. I can't remember the specifics. Our cricketers do so much dumb stuff that you tend to forget the old stuff because there is so many new things to remember.

Edit: here is the story


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Page last updated at 10:56 GMT, Tuesday, 6 April 2010 11:56 UK
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Pakistan's Nasir Jamshed arrested as alleged exam cheat
Nasir Jamshed
Jamshed's last match for Pakistan was against Sri Lanka in August
Pakistan international cricketer Nasir Jamshed has been arrested after being accused of cheating in a school exam.

The 20-year-old was one of three students who allegedly allowed a fourth to write answers for them in an English exam to graduate from secondary school.

Haider Ashraf, a senior police official in the eastern city of Lahore, said that Jamshed was caught "red-handed".

A left-handed opening batsman, Jamshed has played 12 one-day internationals for his country and averages 35.30.

Jamshed, who was not amongst the 37 players awarded a central contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board in March, has since been released on bail.

Pakistan newspaper The News reports that the examination officers, who alerted police after discovering identical handwriting on four answer scripts, were unaware Jamshed was an international cricketer.

Jamshed made an impressive start to his international career, scoring a quickfire 61 on his debut against Zimbabwe in January 2008.

Unbeaten half-centuries against India and Bangladesh followed in July, but he has not represented his country since scoring a duck and one in his two innings against Sri Lanka in August.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

You get arrested for cheating on a school exam!?

He's right, something of that sort happened. I seem to now recall that someone else was taking his exam for him?

Edit- yeah see the post above

 

[Major]

You get arrested for cheating on a school exam!?

Well you could if they decide to make a case.

They made pics of him standing behind bars.

I feel bad for him, his exam cheating being bought up. Everyone cheats in exams and quizes. That was too much when they bought him up on media.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Well you could if they decide to make a case.

They made pics of him standing behind bars.

I feel bad for him, his exam cheating being bought up. Everyone cheats in exams and quizes. That was too much when they bought him up on media.

Come on bro. Some people may cheat yeah. But a 20 year old international getting caught in exam for 15 year olds is a big deal

Anyway the cheating is unrelated to the fixing but it just shows his dumb choices when you have whole world at your feet as a cricketer this guy didnt just cheat and fix, he did it in most paindu way and now making paindu excuses.

 

[Major]

Come on bro. Some people may cheat yeah. But a 20 year old international getting caught in exam for 15 year olds is a big deal

Anyway the cheating is unrelated to the fixing but it just shows his dumb choices when you have whole world at your feet as a cricketer this guy didnt just cheat and fix, he did it in most paindu way and now making paindu excuses.

Everyone cheats in the pakistani school system lol.

But man, those images of him standing in jail just for exam cheating, hilarious good old days.

 

[Savak]

He had become such a useless batsman towards the end. Watching him struggle in the 2015 ODI WC was very sad. He had played the last year and a half of his career living off his 2012 run.

 

[sweep_shot]

Good that he is apologizing. Some people never apologize.

Time to move on I guess. He is no longer an active player. His last match was in 2016.

 

[ghalib kichlu]

Hopefully Kamran Akmal gives him a chair on one of those Pakistani psl shows where basit ali always seems to be perplexed about modern day cricket
He was the next saeed anwar at one point , him and Imran Farhat and taufeeq Umar
His averages especially in domestic cricket and was only picked pre laptop era, he would never be picked in today’s world

 

[ElRaja]

didnt my guy fake his age and cheat on some exams too. guys like him get away with cheating from a young age, then realise theyve lost everything and pretend to feign regret. dude had a lot going for him when he came into the team, but his attitude destroyed him. could have easily have made a respectful living doing the rounds in the leagues, alas wasnt to be and he has no one other than himself to blame.

 

[Hitman]

Where are all the pp posters now that claimed he was innocent? And that pcb had no case?

@Junaids

 

[Hitman]

Hold on! Since he has now admitted that he kept lying multiple times in the last 9-10 years, how are Pakistani fans supposed to take anything he says now including him doing it for the treatment of his sick father seriously?​

 

[ads101]

Respect him for admitting it like this. Most don’t properly admit or apologise like this.

Interesting he named Sharjeel. I still consider it a bit of an embarrassment than Sharjeel got as short a punishment as he did and welcomed back. Latif’s career was pretty much ended by it as were others. We saw the opportunity to handle it internally and gave him the least possible sentence. Then worse the moment he wasn’t excelling, immediately discarded in PSL. Proof we are actually making an exception for a player because of talent. Amir I’m not sure i agreed with but at least you could put it down to age too not just talent.

 

[ads101]

Would further want to add, there was a campaign started by posters here against Najem Sethi aswell..

Posters claimed that Najem Sethi had started this conspiracy against him and sharjeel khan. lol the chairman pcb doing this. They were angry that why Sethi exposed their fixing.

This was always a weak argument. PCB would never try to purposely make their team worse.

I think Sethi was actually trying to save Sharjeel. I can not believe he was out for just 2 and a half years. Had sharjeel not been involved I suspect they would have been very hard on the cricketers involved to set a warning to the rest not to corrupt the PSL. I think they would have been made an example of.

The whole excuse with the trio was pay was bad compared to other countries. Actually fixing when you get paid good PSL money is horrendous. There is a chance former cricketers may never have fixed if they had those opportunities. Just pure greed.

 

[Major]

This was always a weak argument. PCB would never try to purposely make their team worse.

I think Sethi was actually trying to save Sharjeel. I can not believe he was out for just 2 and a half years. Had sharjeel not been involved I suspect they would have been very hard on the cricketers involved to set a warning to the rest not to corrupt the PSL. I think they would have been made an example of.

The whole excuse with the trio was pay was bad compared to other countries. Actually fixing when you get paid good PSL money is horrendous. There is a chance former cricketers may never have fixed if they had those opportunities. Just pure greed.

Our fans dont have rationality. Apna he board player ko ban karwa reh lol

 

[ads101]

Our fans dont have rationality. Apna he board player ko ban karwa reh lol

Dunno why our fans are so lenient on fixing. It’s like it’s a nothing crime. Create excuses for them. Other countries fans aren’t like this at all. They scream for life bans. Lou Vincent wasn’t even allowed to set foot in a cricket stadium let alone play.

Also I think fans don’t think of other domestic cricketers. They work hard and dream about representing Pakistan. The absolute disrespect they must feel when a guy throws it in their faces and decides to fix when having the privilege of international cricket. That alone makes me angry, just the thought of fellow domestic cricketers would stop me from ever fixing. But they can’t dare to come out and say something otherwise they might never get a call up. Azhar and Hafeez only did it because they had international spots secured.

It isn’t a coincidence that Pakistan has the most fixers as a result.

If the trio were punished properly maybe jamshed, Latif, Sharjeel etc wouldn’t have fixed. The next lot of Pak cricketers caught may never have done it if Sharjeel was properly punished. The cycle never ends. If I were PCB I’d announce life bans from now on. Enough is enough. But they are too scared of losing one talented guy short term that they willing to let countless of talented cricketers get involved in corruption and banned in the long term.

 

[Asif321]

How come losers like sharjeel still in auction. You have a big spot fixing saga infront of you and yet you go on and do this thing? After 2010 saga no one should be allowed in any cricket if they are guilty

 

[SaimFan]

He was the golden boy of Pakistan cricket for years.
When Hafeez got injured (or was forcefully declared injured by Waqar Younis/Moin Khan as per him despite only a slight niggle) in the 2015 WC, Jamshaid was brought in out of the blue despite him doing absolutely nothing in domestics. Moin Khan was the selector and director of Pakistan team during that WC.
Wasim Akram (who was just a commentator in the WC) came on social media telling everybody "how good a replacement this player is", when there were far better batsmen performing very well in domestics.

It was a strange WC where Sarfraz did not get into playing 11 in initial games (who had stellar 2014) but Jamshaid was immediately a part of playing 11, Fawad Alam was dropped from the WC despite averaging 65+ in 2014 (his comeback year).

Moin Khan was caught gambling in Casino by viral pictures and sent back from Australia. Some things seemed fishy all along

 

[BouncerGuy]

Gave India some epic phainta but the corruption stuff has ruined his whole work... Enough sir... Move on. Nobody wants to talk about it or remember

 

[ads101]

He was the golden boy of Pakistan cricket for years.
When Hafeez got injured (or was forcefully declared injured by Waqar Younis/Moin Khan as per him despite only a slight niggle) in the 2015 WC, Jamshaid was brought in out of the blue despite him doing absolutely nothing in domestics. Moin Khan was the selector and director of Pakistan team during that WC.
Wasim Akram (who was just a commentator in the WC) came on social media telling everybody "how good a replacement this player is", when there were far better batsmen performing very well in domestics.

It was a strange WC where Sarfraz did not get into playing 11 in initial games (who had stellar 2014) but Jamshaid was immediately a part of playing 11, Fawad Alam was dropped from the WC despite averaging 65+ in 2014 (his comeback year).

Moin Khan was caught gambling in Casino by viral pictures and sent back from Australia. Some things seemed fishy all along

That series in India is one of the most impressive series performance I have ever seen from a Pakistani batsman. It was a low scoring series against a great India side. And jamshed outscored the rest by a mile. Jamshed scored 241 runs at an average of 120. In comparison the second best Pakistani batsmen scored 97 runs at an average of 32 in Hafeez. And on top his performances resulted in an actual won series against a great Indian team in India.

That alone I get the hype. He even had a few good performances against the Aussies too. But like you said fell of a cliff. And then ended in fixing.

But yeah I think after that Indian series there was always the hope somehow he’d get it back. It just never happened.

I hate that he fixed. But I will always remember him from that Indian series. He was absolutely incredible. And that Indian series win felt so special.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

He should be used as an example. What happens when you cheat. Kaneria is lucky that he got to play 60+ tests and only got caught towards the end of his career. Nasir literally destroyed his career when it should have started peaking in 2012-13.
I don't know if he has any salvation in Pakistan Cricket left in him. He's been out of parameters of Pak Cricket for a decade now.

 

[Varun]

That series in India is one of the most impressive series performance I have ever seen from a Pakistani batsman. It was a low scoring series against a great India side. And jamshed outscored the rest by a mile. Jamshed scored 241 runs at an average of 120. In comparison the second best Pakistani batsmen scored 97 runs at an average of 32 in Hafeez. And on top his performances resulted in an actual won series against a great Indian team in India.

That alone I get the hype. He even had a few good performances against the Aussies too. But like you said fell of a cliff. And then ended in fixing.

But yeah I think after that Indian series there was always the hope somehow he’d get it back. It just never happened.

I hate that he fixed. But I will always remember him from that Indian series. He was absolutely incredible. And that Indian series win felt so special.

Not to throw water on it, but that Indian side was in heavy decline. They had been marmalized 8-0 in 8 tests overseas, lost a home series to England as well 2-1, and Sehwag/Gambhir/Yuvraj were clearly past their sell by date.

After that series loss vs Jamshed, we installed Dhawan and Rohit at the top of the order and proceeded to win the Champions Trophy later in 2013, starting a turnaround.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Hearing all of these stories now, I realise how bad it must have been in the Pakistan cricket system at the time.

The usual frantic and anxiety inducing politicking and parchi, and then on top you have a bunch of guys selling out their country.

I feel for the honest players and triers in the system at that time. And also the fans.

 

[ads101]

Not to throw water on it, but that Indian side was in heavy decline. They had been marmalized 8-0 in 8 tests overseas, lost a home series to England as well 2-1, and Sehwag/Gambhir/Yuvraj were clearly past their sell by date.

After that series loss vs Jamshed, we installed Dhawan and Rohit at the top of the order and proceeded to win the Champions Trophy later in 2013, starting a turnaround.

A side with Sehwag, gambhir, Dhoni, Kohli, yuvraj, Raina, ashwin, jadeja etc there’s still too many great players to consider it weak. Still chalk it up as a great win.

At the time too Pakistan was a very weak side. I’m not sure a single batsman you describe as strong at the time.

No one really gave Pak a chance to win that series.

But as I said the most impressive thing was the margin at which jamshed outperformed the rest. Both the Pakistan team and the Indian team. The pressure doing it in an Indian series in India too, stakes were high and he delivered.

In fact correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think India did lose any home series in Odis since something like 2009 until Pakistan did it.

 

[NishanKonar]

Gave India some epic phainta but the corruption stuff has ruined his whole work... Enough sir... Move on. Nobody wants to talk about it or remember

This mindset is why Pakistan cricket is in sucj a bad shape. Anytime any player does well against India - he is immediately put on a pedestal. Treated like a hero. All that hype goes to his head & it goes downhill after that

Look at Rizwan Babar & Shaheen after that 152-0

Same happened to Nasir Jamshed

 

[Varun]

This mindset is why Pakistan cricket is in sucj a bad shape. Anytime any player does well against India - he is immediately put on a pedestal. Treated like a hero. All that hype goes to his head & it goes downhill after that

Look at Rizwan Babar & Shaheen after that 152-0

Same happened to Nasir Jamshed

And Mohammad Amir, who got plaudits for defending a 350+ ODI total lol.

 

[NishanKonar]

And Mohammad Amir, who got plaudits for defending a 350+ ODI total lol.

Yes.

Same reason Pakistan U19 did not even try to chase their target within 33 overs - instead batted steadily to just win , although failed even in that. For them just winning against India is much bigger than qualification for WC knock outs. Very loser mindset

 

[ads101]

And Mohammad Amir, who got plaudits for defending a 350+ ODI total lol.

Probably was only the third best pace bowler for Pakistan that tournament.

Amir largely has not been that effective since his comeback. And his best bowling was done before the ban when he was very young. He was immense in t20 2009.

If this was the type of performance we’d had expected from Amir after ban, I think a lot of fans would overturn their readiness to bring him back.

Amir has just simply been average, maybe at a push good. Not terrible not great. Wasn’t worth us showing leniency on fixing.

In some ways serves us right. If Amir had not been half talented I think fans would have been ready to willing shut the door on all three. Regardless of age. No one cries about jamshed, kaneria, Latif etc. it just comes down to supposed talent. If you are talented enough like Sharjeel and Amir it’s somehow ok to forgive fixing.

It’s weird I see the same people praising Amir for champions trophy. Then mocking Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali was performing incredibly well at the time and it saddens me people are giving credit to the wrong guy.