ICC chief backs Amir's inclusion for England tour

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richardson has backed Mohammad Amir's presence in the squad for the upcoming tour of England, saying the fast bowler's comeback is a 'good thing' for the sport.

Amir, along with former skipper Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, were found guilty of various offences of corrupt behaviour relating to the Lord's Test between England and Pakistan in August 2010 by the independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal in February 2011.

The 24-year-old, whose five-year ban from spot-fixing ended in September last year, went on to display an impressive form since then , having scalped a total of 16 wickets in two ODIs and 11 T20Is he has played so far.

However, the left-hander's criminal conviction could see him denied an entry visa to England, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) approaching their English counterparts for help in securing visa for Amir.

Richardson, who was attending the launch of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy one-day tournament, insisted that Amir had served his part of punishment and that he deserved to be back in the national side.

The ICC chief said that Amir had shown remorse and urged young players to learn from his mistakes, adding that he would be very shocked if the former spot-fixer did not end up coming to England.

Pakistan will tour England for a four-match Test series and a five-match ODI series, starting from July 14 at Lord's.