Amir says no to challenging ICC ban

PCB reaffirms fast-bowler’s career not over.

KARACHI: Mohammad Amir has decided not to appeal the five-year ban imposed on him for spot-fixing during the 2010 Lord’s Test against England.

The highly-rated 19-year-old was released from a British prison last month after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in the scandal. His former teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are serving sentences of 30 and 12 months, respectively. The International Cricket Council (ICC) also banned all three for violating the players’ code of conduct, with Amir receiving the minimum five-year punishment.

“Through his lawyer, Amir has informed us that he has no intention of filing an appeal against the ban,” said an ICC spokesperson.

Under the rules, Amir could have appealed against the ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland, but legal experts believe he lost that possibility after pleading guilty in Britain.

Amir returned to Pakistan on Sunday and has vowed to revive his career. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Zaka Ashraf said Amir is still ‘an asset and a world class bowler’.

“We will consider him for selection once his ban is over,” he told a news conference in Islamabad.

After making his debut in Pakistan’s triumphant World Twenty20 campaign in 2009, Amir was soon considered one of the brightest new talents in international cricket, but his career was derailed by the scandal on the tour of England.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2012.