Only ICC board can relax Amir’s ban: ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has on Friday made it clear that the decision of lifting the ban from Mohammad Amir rests with the ICC Board on the recommendation of the three-member committee constituted last month.

There were reports that Amir has been allowed to play domestic cricket under close surveillance of the officials concerned. But an official of the ICC revealed that no such decision has yet been taken and the matter is with the three-member committee formed by the ICC Annual Board meeting held in England last month. The ICC showed some relaxation towards the tainted bowler only after the Pakistan Cricket Board interim chairman Najam Sethi requested the ICC to consider easing the ban on him (Amir).

The ICC official informed that the ICC sub-committee, which was set up after the 2013 annual conference to review the case would most probably, meet in October 2013. “It’s not clear as yet whether they would be able to come to any conclusion in their first meeting or proceed with more meetings and till they give their recommendations.” The ban of Amir till 2015 will remain in tact. In that circumstances, he will not be allowed to use any cricket facility set aside allowed playing any form of cricket,” he maintained.

Amir, along with Pakistan captain Salman Butt and pacer Mohammad Asif were found guilty of spot-fixing and were banned from the game. They were even jailed with corrective sentence in England.

The official said that there is no truth in the reports that Amir has been allowed to play conditionally in domestic cricket. “It depends on the ICC board to allow him back in the game one year prior of the conclusion of his ban or for six months. And that is only after what would be results of the sub-committees findings,” he said and added that the committee might assemble next year after its first meeting in October.