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(Sports) Pakistan's banned cricketer Amir vows to make clean comeback

Xinhua, January 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

Pakistan's young fast bowler Mohammad Amir who was banned for five years over spot fixing charges in 2010 vowed that he wanted to make a clean comeback to the game.

At a press conference in Lahore on Thursday, the 22-year old cricketer disclosed his plans to become a balanced personality in future.

"You will see positive developments in me. You will see Mohammad Amir as a better human now and also a better cricketer," he said.

The remarks came hours after the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday allowed Amir to play domestic cricket under the supervision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after a five year ban.

A statement posted at the ICC website said that ICC's Anti- Corruption and Security Unit Chairman Sir Ronnie Flanagan has exercised his discretion to allow Amir to return to domestic cricket played under the auspices of the PCB with immediate effect.

Amir was sentenced to six months in prison in England for bowling no-balls at prearranged times during a match against the English team at Lord's in August 2010.

The Pakistani cricket team's spot-fixing controversy started when British tabloid weekly News of the World released a report on Aug. 29 that during the Pakistani cricket team's tour of England that Pakistani players Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Captain Salman Butt had accepted bribes from an agent and bookie Mazhar Majeed purposely under-performed at certain points.

The weekly, famous for its undercover reporting, secretly video- taped Majeed accepting money and assuring a reporter that fast bowlers Asif and Amir would deliberately bowl no-balls (fouls) at specific points which could be used by gamblers to make bets with inside information.

In response to the leaks and allegations, Scotland Yard ( British police) arrested Majeed and raided the players' hotel rooms and confiscated some cash, their cell phones and laptops for investigation.

Later on, Amir confessed the charges and cooperated with the ICC's anti-corruption unit for a rehabilitation program.

The PCB has not given any plan for Amir's return to the national team after his five-year ban ends on Sept. 2 this year.

A number of senior players and experts have opposed the idea to bring Amir back into the national team, saying that a tainted player's presence in the team will leave negative affects at other players' performance and attitude. Endi