Pakpassion.net have confirmed that the ICC are considering allowing Amir to use PCB facilities to get back to match fitness before the expiry of his spot-fixing ban.

by Amir Husain (1st July, 2013)

In his first press conference as acting Chairman of the PCB, Mr. Najam Sethi had indicated that one of his primary aims during his tenure would be to ask for a reduction in the ban of the disgraced Pakistani cricketer, Mohammad Amir. 

The twenty-one year old fast bowler is currently serving a 5 year ban after being found guilty of involvement in a spot-fixing scandal which was discovered during the 2010 tour of England and there has been widespread speculation, fuelled by media reports, that the ICC may be considering a reduction in the length of this ban.

To clarify the situation, PakPassion.net spoke to a number of reliable sources and have established the following facts:

1. The PCB, under the guidance of Mr. Sethi did raise the issue in the recently concluded ICC Board meetings in London.

2. At no point during the ICC meeting was there a discussion on the reduction of the ban, as the minimum ban is 5 years as per ICC regulations. Mohammad Amir will serve this ban in its entirety. 

3. The only allowance that was made was that a sub-committee of 5 Directors of the ICC has been constituted to consider how Mohammad Amir, as he approaches the end of his ban, will be able to regain his match fitness.

4. There is absolutely NO question of him being allowed to play domestic or any other form of cricket at the moment. All that is being discussed is how he can possibly use PCB facilities to get back to match fitness so that when the ban does expire, he is in proper physical shape to play cricket. This could be in the form of allowing him to practice under PCB’s guidance approximately 6-8 months before the end of his ban. The committee will discuss this although no due date for a decision is available at the moment.

Mohammad Amir’s ban will officially expire on 2 September 2015 and he is expected to be available for selection from that date. Given the positive image in the media that he has been cultivating during the period of his ban, it is widely believed that he will be able to make a swift return to international cricket. Whether this translates into an actual recall for the disgraced player is yet to be seen, but if the sentiments expressed by Najam Sethi are any indicator, this will not be an issue and Amir will make a return to the Pakistan side in the near future, despite the reservations of many fans and former Pakistani cricketers.

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