LONDON, Oct 19: Pakistan seamer Mohammad Amir’s five-year match-fixing ban will be “reviewed” after a “revised” anti-corruption code has been adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body said Saturday.

Officials plan to discuss, and possibly adopt, the new code in January, a statement issued after a two-day ICC board meeting in London concluded Saturday said.

“The ICC board was informed that a revised version of a more robust and strengthened ICC anti-corruption code will be submitted for discussion/approval at the January 2014 meeting,” said the statement.

“During the discussion, the matter of Mohammad Amir’s five-year ban also came up for discussion.

“The ICC board decided to review the matter in due course after the revised ICC anti-corruption code has been finalised and adopted.”

Prior to this weekend’s meeting the PCB, who have taken up Amir’s case, had set great store by the opinion of a senior British lawyer or QC that the bowler’s “unjust and perverse” ban should be relaxed to at least allow him to play first-class cricket, given his admission of guilt and appearance in ICC anti-corruption videos.

The PCB, responding to Saturday’s announcement, said they’d been encouraged by their talks with England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke, who is heading up an ICC anti-corruption laws review committee.

“Mr Giles Clarke, head of the ICC’s anti-corruption laws review committee working group, assured PCB chairman Najam Sethi that he would work with him to find ways and means of positively reviewing the young fast bowler’s (Aamer’s) case,” a PCB statement said.

“Earlier, Mr Sethi made a passionate pitch before the ICC board to review Amir’s case and enable him to play first-class cricket as soon as possible.

“The British QC engaged by the PCB has argued that, keeping in view the acceptance of guilt by Mohammad Amir, the ban has become unjust and perverse.”

The PCB statement said Sethi, since becoming PCB chairman, had “tirelessly argued for Mohammad Amir at all forums of the ICC” and would be pressing his case again at the next board meeting.

In February 2011 the now 21-year-old Aamer was banned for five years, along with team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, for deliberately bowling no-balls in return for the promise of money during the 2010 Lord’s Test against England.

Salman, Pakistan’s captain at the time of the incident which came about as a result of a sting operation by now defunct UK tabloid the News of the World, was banned for 10 years (five suspended) and Asif seven years (two suspended).

All three players served jailed terms for violating English law’s Gambling Act.—AFP