Allow Mohammad Amir to Return to Domestic Cricket, Pakistan Write to ICC
Mohammad Amir's five-year ban for spot-fixing during a Test against England in 2010 will end in August next year.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially sent a letter to International Cricket Council (ICC) asking it to review the ban on Mohammad Amir in light of the revision in the anti-corruption code of the world body. (Also Read: Amir Puts Acting Career on Hold for Domestic Cricket Hopes)
A PCB official confirmed on Wednesday that the letter had been dispatched to the ICC basically seeking clearance for the left arm pacer to make a return to domestic cricket.
"We have asked the ICC to give us advice on how it would be possible for Amir to make am early return to domestic cricket after the changes in the anti-corruption code," the official told PTI.
"We have conveyed to the ICC that we would like Amir to be given permission to play domestic cricket before his ban ends in August 2015," the official added.
Amir is serving a five-year ban imposed on him and his teammates, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif by the ICC after the spot fixing scandal broke out during Pakistan's tour of England in late 2010.
The ICC recently revised its anti-corruption code and it allows the anti-corruption unit chief to review any case for allowing a player to make an early return to domestic cricket before the end of the official ban.
The PCB official said that they expected the entire process to last for at least two months.
"There is a possibility that Amir could return to domestic cricket this season as it runs until April-May 2015," he added.
Amir has already said he is training hard to prepare for an expected comeback to domestic cricket.
Interestingly Pakistan's former captain and now respected commentator and pundit, Rameez Raja on Wednesday strongly opposed any move to allow Amir back into the national team and advised the PCB to first ask the current players whether they would be comfortable with Amir in the dressing room with them.
The official also confirmed that the PCB also planned to take up former captain, Salman Butt's case with the ICC but made it clear this would take time.
"Only after the Amir case is decided upon by the ICC that we will move to seek some redressal for Butt as well," he said.
He said there was a vast difference between the cases of Amir and Butt.
"Butt came and met the Chairman recently and he has been in touch with us and he is insisting we plead his case but we are still not convinced he has told us the whole truth about the spot fixing issue," the official added.