Pakistan's banned Test pacer Muhammad Aamir could make an early return to domestic cricket if a draft clause inserted into the International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption code is approved by the executive board of the sports' world governing body.
"Once the executive body approves the revised anti-corruption code which includes the draft clause than Pakistan Cricket Board will move an application for allowing Muhammad Aamir to resume training at the national cricket academy and also play some domestic cricket," a board official told PTI today.
The ICC had formed a special committee to work on the drafting of a new anti-corruption code and the PCB official said significant progress has been made on it.
"A draft clause has been inserted which can permit a banned player to be involved in domestic cricket prior to the end of his ban period," he added.
Aamir, with disgraced captain Salman Butt and fellow pacer Muhammad Asif, was banned for a minimum of five years by the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC in early 2011 after the three were suspended for being involved in a spot fixing scam during the fourth Test against England at Lords in August, 2010.
A crown court in London in 2011 also found the trio guilty of corruption and gave them varying jail terms.
The three players though returned to Pakistan after serving their jail terms.
Last year on the request of the PCB chairman, Najam Sethi and on basis of advice from a Queen's Counsel in the United Kingdom whose services were obtained by the PCB on the Aamir ban, the ICC had agreed to review its anti-corruption code as under the existing code there were no provisions for early entry into cricket of a banned player.
Aamir whose ban technically ends in September, 2015 said he was just grateful to the PCB and Sethi for pleading his case with the ICC.
