Suspended left arm teenage pace bowler Mohammad Amir has stated that he is desperate to make a return to the Pakistan side.

 by Saj Sadiq

13 November 2010

 

Suspended left arm teenage pace bowler Mohammad Amir has stated that he is desperate to make a return to the Pakistan side.

Amir who has represented Pakistan on 47 occasions, having made his international debut in the Twenty20 World Cup in England in 2009, is one of three Pakistani cricketers currently suspended by the International Cricket Council due to charges of spot fixing. 

Amir and former skipper Salman Butt's appeals against the suspension by the ICC were rejected by Michael Beloff, the ICC code of conduct commissioner who chaired a two day hearing in Dubai on 29th and 30th October.

However Amir, speaking to PakPassion.net expressed his desperation and desire to return to the Pakistan side and described the frustration of having to watch his team mates on television, rather than actually being on the field with them.

"I'm really missing not playing for my country and I'm absolutely desperate to return to the side once the ongoing issues have been resolved. I pray that everything turns out well for me. I've been watching the matches against South Africa on television and it hurts so much when we lose and I can't do anything about it."

Amir, along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt has had his central contract withdrawn by the Pakistan Cricket Board and is also barred from playing any first class cricket in Pakistan. However he added that he has been keeping himself "in shape" by playing football, as well as practising at a local cricket club in Lahore.

"I've been training hard. At times alone, others time it's with local club players. It's not been easy but I have continued to keep up my training levels and attempt to keep my morale high. I've been playing football to also help with my fitness and I'm also taking part in some 35 over night cricket matches in Lahore. It's not first class cricket or international cricket of course, but it's cricket of a decent standard and keeps me involved in the game. This spell away from cricket has really hit me hard and I pray and hope that my pain at not being allowed to play cricket ends soon. I'm really looking forward to putting on the green cap of Pakistan once again."

The ICC has set up a three-man tribunal to look into the spot-fixing allegations against the three Pakistani players, and the hearing will be held between January 6 and 11 in Doha, Qatar. 

Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service has been handed a second file of evidence relating to the case and Scotland Yard said that evidence that there was a conspiracy to defraud bookmakers will be considered by the CPS, although the investigation remains ongoing.