ICC allows 'banned' Amir to play domestic cricket for one year

Banned Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Amir has been allowed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to play domestic cricket with some conditions lifting the ban imposed on the tainted bowlers for spot-fixing.

According to The Nation, although a British court awarded jail sentences to Amir and two of his teammates, former skipper Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif, in a spot-fixing case, it later on showed generosity to Amir and sent him to rehabilitation jail for being young and new to cricket.

The report further said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been officially informed by the ICC to permit Amir to play domestic cricket for a year, after which the global governing body will assess his performance and attitude to decide his future in international games.

The report added that the Pakistan bowler had been considered a great addition in the team and was expected that he would shine more with passage of time, but his glorious time was cut short after the spot fixing scandal, although the PCB has already allowed Amir to use its facilities for training.

The report also said that a five-member ICC sub-committee, which was set up after the 2013 annual conference to review the anti-corruption code, was formed last month to look into relaxing certain conditions of the five-year ban imposed on Amir after the spot-fixing scandal of 2010.

Asif and Butt have completed their jail terms and filed petitions against their bans from the ICC but however, have failed to get any relaxation, the report added.