Leniency required in terms of Amir’s ban: PCB

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Zaka Ashraf, is of the view that the 5-year ban imposed on Mohammad Amir is too harsh, and needs to be revised.

The 19-year-old was convicted, along with teammate Mohammad Asif, and then captain Salman Butt, for spot-fixing last year and sentenced to 6 months in prison for agreeing to deliver no-balls during a Test match against England in 2010. The young pacer was released in February this year after serving half of his 6-month sentence.

However, even with the prison sentence out of the way, question marks still loom over his cricket career. Part of his punishment included a 5-year ban from all forms of cricket, imposed on him by an ICC tribunal, which dictated that the player has been barred from playing any form of cricket anywhere in the world. While Amir initially expressed the wish to appeal against the ban, he later retracted his intention. However, the PCB is of the view that the terms of the ban need to be revised, and that the youngster should lodge an appeal against it.

“I think the five-year ban is too harsh and it is down to Amir if he wishes to appeal against that lengthy ban imposed upon him,” said Ashraf. “I would suggest that he does appeal against the ban and I think the relevant body should take a lenient view given his age and the talent he possesses.”

Amir made his international debut in 2009, and emerged as one of the most promising prospects for Pakistan, becoming the youngest player to take 50 wickets in Test matches. Despite the fact that the spot-fixing scandal brought his career to an abrupt halt, the PCB has expressed the intent to re-induct him into the squad, once he has undergone rehab, and is free of the terms of the ban.

“Amir was very apologetic at the meeting we had with him and spoke of how he was trapped into spot fixing. He is such a wonderful young talent that has been wasted and it's such a shame that he cannot even use our practice facilities,” said Ashraf.

Earlier this month, ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat advised Amir to focus on rehabilitation, instead of looking for any reduction in the ban. He claimed that any revision in the terms of the ban could only be considered once Amir had made attempts to reform himself.