LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan expressed his optimism on Tuesday regarding paceman Mohammad Amir’s visa to travel with the national team for the tour of England which begins from June 17.

“I have no information that Amir has received his visa,” Shaharyar told Dawn, adding that he had “sent a request to the UK High Commissioner in Islamabad in order to get visa for the paceman as soon as possible”.

“I have also spoken with England Cricket Board (ECB) official Giles Clarke who has told me that the ECB has given its consent to its government for the issuance of Amir’s visa,” he added.

He was hopeful that Amir will get his visa in the next couple of days and will travel with the Pakistan team as per schedule.

Amir was caught in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that resulted in bans and jail sentences for him, former Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif.

He served half of a six-month jail sentence in England after pleading guilty to charges of bowling deliberate no-balls in the fourth Test against England at Lord’s as part of the spot-fixing deal. The ICC also banned him from all cricket for five years and Amir, who was 18 at the time, later confessed and apologised for his actions. The ban was shortened by six months in exchange for Amir’s cooperation with the ICC anti-corruption unit.

Amir was named in the Pakistan squad for the tour of England, subject to visa, and the PCB has made a special request to the England home ministry for leniency in his case.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2016