Spot-fixing: Musharraf urges authorities to show 'compassion' to "misled boy" Aamer

London, Sept 12 (ANI): Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf has urged cricket authorities to show leniency to "misled boy" Mohammad Aamer, who is one of the three Pakistani cricketers charged with spot-fixing allegations and provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and "let him serve cricket."

Musharraf said that anyone involved in match-fixing should be punished, but also added that that cricket would be losing a talented player if Aamer's career was put to an end, the Dawn reports.

"Anyone who has done this, must be punished. They don't deserve any sympathy... Having said that, Aamer, this youngster.... he is a misled boy. It's terrible. He deserves the punishment. But I know he comes from a poor family. The family was entirely looking forward to him with all the future available to him." He said.

The former president added, "Let's not let this family down. Let him do well and look after that family. ... Cricket will be the loser. At 18, look at what he's done. Let's not lose him, let him serve cricket."

However, he added, "We must find answers to the issue of corruption."

Musharraf said the aim "should be to reform an individual and not to give him a punitive punishment and destroy him," and this was a case where the teenage player could be reformed by making his realise his wrongdoing.

Clarifying that he was talking of one individual only, he said he would request from his side to anyone who was trying the 18-year-old to show 'compassion' as the player " fully" deserved it.

During the ill-fated tour of England, left-arm fast bowler Aamer became the youngest player to take 50 Test wickets.

British police had interrogated Pakistani players Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif over claims that they took money to deliberately bowl no-balls against England at Lord's last month. (ANI)