Mohammad Amir back home after release
Amir arrived at Lahore and headed straight for his home in Defence Housing Authority without speaking to media.
LAHORE:
Cricketer Mohammad Amir returned home early Sunday after his release from a British prison, an AFP reporter said.
Amir was one of three Pakistan players jailed by a judge in London in November over their roles in a plan to bowl deliberate no-balls during a Test against England at Lord's in August 2010.
The 19-year-old is also serving a five-year ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Amir arrived at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore from London at 4:35 am local time (2300 GMT) and headed straight for his home in the Defence Housing Authority without speaking to media, an AFP reporter said.
Amir's family members also refused to speak to media. Television footage showed Amir sitting in a white car as the vehicle entered his residence.
Former Test captain Salman Butt was also sentenced to two and a half years for being the “orchestrator” of the scam, while seamer Mohammad Asif received a 12-month prison term for bowling a fraudulent no-ball.
The London-based sports agent Mazhar Majeed who organised the scam was jailed for two years and eight months.
All three players are serving five-year ICC bans.
The scandal emerged as a result of an undercover investigation by the now defunct British tabloid the News of the World.
Both Butt and Amir had appealed against their sentences rejected in November, with England's top judge saying they had “betrayed” their country.
Last month, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf held out the prospect of Amir returning to international cricket once his jail term and ICC ban had been completed.
Before the scandal, left-arm paceman Amir had made a huge impact with his on-field performances. He took 51 wickets in 14 Tests, including seven at Leeds in 2010 as Pakistan beat Australia for the first time in 15 years.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly mentioned News of the World as News of a World. The error is regretted.
Cricketer Mohammad Amir returned home early Sunday after his release from a British prison, an AFP reporter said.
Amir was one of three Pakistan players jailed by a judge in London in November over their roles in a plan to bowl deliberate no-balls during a Test against England at Lord's in August 2010.
The 19-year-old is also serving a five-year ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Amir arrived at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore from London at 4:35 am local time (2300 GMT) and headed straight for his home in the Defence Housing Authority without speaking to media, an AFP reporter said.
Amir's family members also refused to speak to media. Television footage showed Amir sitting in a white car as the vehicle entered his residence.
Former Test captain Salman Butt was also sentenced to two and a half years for being the “orchestrator” of the scam, while seamer Mohammad Asif received a 12-month prison term for bowling a fraudulent no-ball.
The London-based sports agent Mazhar Majeed who organised the scam was jailed for two years and eight months.
All three players are serving five-year ICC bans.
The scandal emerged as a result of an undercover investigation by the now defunct British tabloid the News of the World.
Both Butt and Amir had appealed against their sentences rejected in November, with England's top judge saying they had “betrayed” their country.
Last month, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf held out the prospect of Amir returning to international cricket once his jail term and ICC ban had been completed.
Before the scandal, left-arm paceman Amir had made a huge impact with his on-field performances. He took 51 wickets in 14 Tests, including seven at Leeds in 2010 as Pakistan beat Australia for the first time in 15 years.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly mentioned News of the World as News of a World. The error is regretted.