LONDON: Convicted cricketer Nasir Jamshed’s wife has penned a heartfelt letter on the pain her family is going through after the former cricket start was jailed on Friday for corrupting the game of cricket and bringing shame to the family.
Minutes after a judge at the Manchester Crown Court sent Nasir Jamshed to jail for 17 months for his part in fixing the PSL match in Dubai in February 2018, his wife Dr Samara Afzal wrote: “Today is the most difficult day of my life as Nasir starts his custodial sentence & I figure out what to tell my 4 year old. I’ve felt the need to write this in the hope that others learn from Nasir’s mistakes & no one goes through the pain we have suffered in the last 3 years.”
Dr Samara Afzal from Walsall describes herself on her social media platforms as a full time doctor, part-time cricketer and cricket coach. The couple met for the first time through their shared love of cricket.
She wrote: “Nasir could have a bright future had he worked hard and been committed to the sport that gave him so much but he took a short cut and lost everything: his career, status, respect and freedom. He would have got UK nationality and played country cricket and he threw his chance away. He would do anything to turn the clock back and not lose everything, especially his daughter who he’s very close to but it’s too late for him. I hope all cricketers look at his example as a deterrent against corruption.”
She wrote she was aware that there are too many financial expectations from families in Pakistan but nothing justifies corruption. “An international cricket can probably earn more than I as a doctor can so I can’ understand the need to partake in corruption. I know in Pakistan one person is expected to provide for a dozen others but that doesn’t justify corruption. Praying for your country is a privilege and not an entitlement which as we have seen can be taken at any time. I hope and pray no other cricketer gets lured into to this temptation for money and no family has to bear the pain and humiliation we have endured and continue to do so.”
Nasir Jamshed was arrested with Yousef Anwar and Mohammed Ijaz last February in a National Crime Agency probe. Nasir Jamshed encouraged other players to fix a Pakistan Super League (PSL) game in February 2018 by getting batsmen to avoid scoring runs from certain balls in return for a share of £30,000. Anwar was jailed for 40 months and Ijaz sentenced to 30 months.
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