New Delhi: Fans were reminded of the infamous no-ball from former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir after Asad Akhtar’s huge no-ball during Pakistan’s National T20 Cup on Monday. Akhtar came into the spotlight after overstepping by a huge margin in what was an odd-looking no-ball during his team Karachi Blues’s clash against Lahore Blues in the tournament.
Akhtar bowled only one over in the game and ended up conceding 21 runs from it. He bowled two no-balls and two wides in the over, but it was one of his no-balls that caught the eyes of the fans on social media. The 25-year-old pacer overstepped by a big margin, raising suspicions of spot fixing.
The wide no-ball from Akhtar led to comparisons with Amir’s infamous no-ball in the Lord’s Test against England, which led to the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. Amir was banned alongside his Pakistan teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who were found guilty of fixing. While Butt was banned for ten years, Asif received a seven-year ban, and Amir was handed a five-year suspension.
Akhtar’s massive no-ball against the Lahore Blues reminded fans of Amir’s infamous delivery at Lord’s, where he overstepped by a big margin.
Asad Akhtar’s big no-ball raises match-fixing suspicion:
Asad Akhtar’s no-ball wasn’t just wide — it was two feet past the crease in Pakistan’s National T20 Cup.
The same deliberate distance that brought down Mohammad Amir in 2010. Same competition level. Same age bracket.
History doesn’t repeat, but incompetence has a very specific… pic.twitter.com/0jPXtOFZxH
— Gully Point (@gullypoint_) March 17, 2026
Is this the longest no-ball in cricket history? 🤯
Karachi Blues’ Asad Akhtar produced a massive overstep in the Pakistan National T20 Cup.#Cricket #PakistanCricket #NationalT20Cup #cricketnews pic.twitter.com/Tx581bKlBr
— TMN Sports (@TMNSportsLive) March 16, 2026
Fixing suspicion?
That no-ball from Asad Akhtar in Pakistan’s National T20 Cup wasn’t just big, it was alarmingly big. This ball instantly brings back memories of the infamous no-ball from Mohammad Amir during the spot-fixing scandal.
Then there were two wides and two no-balls… pic.twitter.com/wk25tZZWZO
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) March 15, 2026
A 25 year old Pakistani pacer, Asad Akhtar, bowled a shocking no ball in their ongoing premium domestic T20 tournament and it looked ridiculously suspicious. Spot fixing again. pic.twitter.com/zFRzScLFLx
— Kakarot (@MidOffMind) March 15, 2026
Akhtar made his List A debut earlier this year and has played only five T20 matches in his career so far. He has three wickets to his name in five T20s with an economy rate of 9.14 and is not too experienced at the top level. In Pakistan’s National T20 Cup, he has managed only a solitary wicket in two matches for the Karachi Blues while conceding at an economy rate of over 11.
When Shahid Afridi slapped Mohammad Amir for his role in spot-fixing scandal
Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq recently revealed how one of his friends, who repaired phones in London, was the first to unravel the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket. Razzaq also revealed former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had slapped Amir after the pacer initially denied his role in the scandal.
Razzaq revealed bookie Mazhar Majeed, who was the key conspirator in the scandal, had given his phone for repairing to Razzaq’s friend. Razzaq’s friend found suspicious messages on Majeed’s phone while working on it and later informed the all-rounder about the same. Razzaq then informed Afridi, the senior-most player in the squad at the time, about the conspiracy.
“What happened was that Mazhar Majeed came to my friend and asked him to repair one of his phones. When my friend managed to get the phone working late at night, he found several messages between Mazhar and the three players detailing plans to spot-fix in the match,” Razzaq recalled.
“Afridi called Amir, who was just 18 then, to his room and asked me to wait outside. I could hear Afridi getting angry and asking him to tell the truth. When he kept denying it, I heard a loud slap and rushed inside,” he added.
Majeed was jailed for his role in the scandal, while the three Pakistani cricketers were banned from the game. While Butt and Asid never played for Pakistan again, Amir made his comeback for the national team after serving his sentence and was part of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy-winning squad in 2017.