“We also want to be completely satisfied he will not repeat his mistakes again if he gets a chance to play for Pakistan”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan has revealed that disgraced left-arm pace bowler Mohammad Amir will undergo a six-month assessment before being allowed to make his international comeback.
Amir was banned for five years after he was found guilty of match-fixing during a Test match against England in 2010.
“We will monitor him closely in every aspect and also take the feedback of other players in the national team and domestic cricket before deciding whether he can play for Pakistan again,” Khan said. “Obviously he has committed a crime and let the country down and we have to ensure other players are comfortable playing against him and with him before we take any decision. Plus we also want to be completely satisfied he will not repeat his mistakes again if he gets a chance to play for Pakistan. So until now it is not an open or shut case for Amir.”
Khan also noted that he is convinced Amir has learnt from his mistakes, even though many former players and pundits still have their doubts.
“I get a feeling he has learnt from his mistakes and is repentant and will not do it again but we have to be 100 percent sure he does not bring Pakistan cricket into disrepute again,” he said. “Plus we also have to first see whether whenever he plays domestic cricket, is he still good enough as a cricketer to warrant a recall to the national side because we are seeing lot of promising new players coming up.
“We are hopeful that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will give him some relief and allow him to at least start using facilities at the national cricket academy before his ban officially ends. But at this stage we don’t see him playing domestic cricket before early next season.”
When asked if former captain Salman Butt and pace bowler Mohammad Asif, both of whom were also indicted in the match-fixing scandal, would be making their returns as well, Khan stated that both players have very uncooperative thus far.