PCB to seek relaxation but only for Amir

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said the board wile file an appeal with the ICC within a week for the 22-year-old Amir.

“Our legal department is preparing the documents to file in Amir’s case but at present we have no plans to do the same for Salman Butt or Asif,” Khan told reporters in Lahore on Thursday.

Former captain Butt, Asif and Amir were all banned for spot-fixing during the Pakistan team’s tour of England in 2010. The spot-fixing took place during the fourth test at Lord’s.

The trio, who also served jail sentences in the United Kingdom, have been given minimum five year bans by the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC but while the ban for Butt and Amir ends in August, the former also has been given a two-year suspended sentence.

“Amir’s case is different from those of Butt and Asif. These two have still not really accepted their guilt. We want them to do more first to convince us they are repentant,” Khan said.

“First they convince us they want to reform themselves and then we will decide when to approach the ICC.”
He said Amir had co-operated with the PCB and ICC in reforming himself. Khan, however, ruled out an immediate return for Amir to competitive cricket.

“It is a process under the new anti-corruption code and it will take time. Only the ACSU can give relaxation to a banned player,” he said.

Under the revised code, a banned player can apply to ICC’s ACSU to allow him to resume playing domestic cricket before the end of his ban- Reuters