Mohammad Amir marked his return to cricket in England with two wickets in quick succession against Somerset at Taunton on Monday.
Left-arm fast bowler Amir’s exciting career came to a shuddering halt at Lord’s in 2010 when, during a Test against England, he and new-ball partner Mohammad Asif were caught bowling no-balls to order on the instructions of captain Salman Butt as part of a tabloid newspaper sting operation.
All three received five-year bans from cricket and jail terms.
But the 24-year-old Amir is now back in England with the Pakistan squad and could make his return to Test cricket in the first of a four-match series at Lord’s on July 14.
After Pakistan had made 359 for eight declared on the second morning of three in their tour opener, Amir took the new ball.
Despite suggestions from England captain Alastair Cook that spectators might jeer Amir, there was nothing but polite applause from a modest crowd for the 24-year-old paceman.
Former England opener Marcus Trescothick blocked his first ball and took two fours off Amir’s opening over.
But Amir struck with his 14th ball back on English soil when he produced a superb outswinger that moved late to Trescothick, then on eight, which the left-hander edged behind, with wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed holding an excellent diving catch.
Amir struck again when an inswinger bowled Adam Hose.
Hose, making his first-class debut and probably never having faced bowling of this quality before, was out for 10 and Somerset were 23 for two.
At this staged Amir had taken two wickets for six runs in 11 balls.
During Pakistan’s innings, there as an ironic moment when the first delivery Amir faced was a no-ball from Somerset and Scotland seamer Josh Davey.
Next ball, Amir was caught behind off Davey for a duck.