Amir to benefit from revised ICC anti-corruption code

E-Paper | March 11, 2026

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council approved its revised anti-corruption code on Monday but left it up to home boards to allow banned players to return early to domestic competition.

For a player to return to domestic competition before the expiry of his ban would need the agreement of the chairman of the anti-corruption board, Sir Ronnie Flannagan, and the relevant National Cricket Federation, with the approval of the ICC Board, an ICC release explained.

The revised code will specifically help Pakistan seamer Mohammad Amir's early return to domestic cricket, likely in February next year.

Last year, the Pakistan Cricket Board had demanded the ICC relax certain conditions of Amir's ban after he pleaded guilty to a spot-fixing crime and then completed the rehabilitation process.

Amir, now 22, was banned along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in a spot-fixing scandal on Pakistan's tour of England in 2010.

Amir was banned for five years, Butt for ten (with five suspended) and Asif for seven (two suspended).

The trio, also jailed in Britain, were charged with orchestrating deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test against England in return for money.

The ICC said the revised code would close certain loopholes and address the issue of who has jurisdiction in a particular case.

The code would also allow a player charged with an offence but who has not been provisionally suspended, to agree to voluntarily suspend him/herself, the ICC said.

ICC chairman Naryanaswami Srinivasan, himself suspended in India over a fixing scandal in a Twenty20 league, said: “The process for the revision of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code was exhaustive and has been based on our learning and experiences over the past few years.

“This code is now even more robust and comprehensive and it provides clarity on jurisdictional issues, gives options to the charged Participant and offers more choices to the Anti-Corruption Tribunal.“

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson admitted the fight against corruption was still a priority.

“The battle against corruption remains one of cricket's biggest challenges and we remain committed to eliminating this menace from our sport,” he said.

Speaking to DawnNews Amir said that he has received a “second chance” to prove himself. He said that his first priority is to perform in domestic cricket.

Amir last week told AFP that he was anxiously awaiting the revision of the code and would apply to the Pakistan Board to be allowed to play in domestic matches.

“I am waiting for the ICC decision and once it comes I will apply with the PCB to resume my domestic career and then international matches,” said Amir.

The ICC Board also accepted the PCB's nomination of its former chairman, Najam Sethi, for the ICC Presidency.

The presidency is now merely an honorific position with all the power in the hands of the chairman, following a reorganisation in June.

The Board also reiterated its support for the no-tolerance approach in dealing with suspected illegal bowling actions.

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal was one of five bowlers suspended over an illegal action following an ICC crackdown in June.

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Sheraz

Nov 10, 2014 05:47pm

I don't think we need any corrupt player else ready to get boo in ground when facing public and give reason to pass bad comment on person himself and specially on nation.

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Itsqashi

Nov 10, 2014 06:15pm

Once confessed and ask for forgiveness we should brave enough to accept this apology. In my opinion only Amir should come back and I wish him a good luck.

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Rebel

Nov 10, 2014 06:23pm

Disgraced but skilful..... Lets give him one more chance; hope he has learned his lesson.....

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Harmony

Nov 10, 2014 06:25pm

@Sheraz - He has been punished and repented. You may not forgive anyone in your life but even the almighty forgives for that.

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Kedar

Nov 10, 2014 07:32pm

Now icc is good ...lolz and no issues with big3 either.

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Nov 10, 2014 08:03pm

I agree with Harmony. We are not the judges of peoples remorse, repentence and their relationship to whomever they worship. If he has asked for public apology, gone through rehab initiatives and taken severe punishment, what more do you want ? Allah forgives, learn to forgive and tolerate. He is very young and deserves a chance. I am sure even the anti corruption bosses will be monitoring his moves, coughs and sneezes wherever he goes for the next few years.

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Ahamed

Nov 10, 2014 08:07pm

@Sheraz agreed. I for one will never, ever let any of these people close to the national team. The nation is more important than all the cricket players put together. At the level we compete, there is no room for corruption of the slightest degree. Amir and the rest of them have been proved too be guilty beyond reasonable doubt. And that is that. All this comes from lack of basic education. I am told that one cannot get in to the national team if you do not have an undergraduate degree. And if one is exceptionally talented, the Board ensures that the young man goes to college and gets a degree- as he continues to play. This is in India. And we pride ourselves of producing illiterate street smart cricket players and allow them to cheat and make excuses for them to return to the national team. Like the leaders like the cricket players. What a country!!

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Shawn

Nov 10, 2014 08:20pm

I am not against Amir or Pakistan. We keep forgiving our leaders and the representatives of our country in sports. We forgive or forgive them them as if we have no choice. That's the reason India and Pakistan are in a place where it is now. Given a chance to represent the country, how younger he is, he knew that he was doing against all the people's faith to make good money. Like our leaders doing for years. I would say, you can forgive someone who did wrong to you. I would even forgive Army men on both sides for unprovoked killings because there were in the hot line. But these kind of guys, poured with money and still greed and do it, I would say no, never give them a chance. I am glad that (at least as much as I know), the Indian players who got accused of match fixing, never given a chance again even after their ban ended by ICC. Please dont forgive people who shame the country, thats what put us here as third world countries!!!

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Zahid

Nov 10, 2014 08:38pm

This sums up ICC for me...."ICC chairman Naryanaswami Srinivasan, himself suspended in India over a fixing scandal in a Twenty20 league"....a alleged cheat making laws to catch other alleged cheats.

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hanif

Nov 10, 2014 09:00pm

@Sheraz Remember, Aamir was only 19 years old and grew up in a country where cheating is a normal business, it's the PCB fault as well in not letting their players properly training of worl ethics. Work ethics is missing in every form of life. If nawaz Sherif can get a second chance why not Aamir. He did wrong but consider his circumstances as well.

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Aamir

Nov 10, 2014 09:02pm

Amir .asif are criminal minded people they should never be included in pak team

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Sheraz

Nov 10, 2014 10:10pm

@Harmony H sold Pakistan for few bucks. First they all denied it but when they saw no where to go than accet in puclic. If ICC on that time wont took strict step than the will keep on denied it and we wont be able to know what they have done. Yes we are corrupt and fail nation if we forgive traitors than we should forgive all our corrupt politicians as well. How long this will carry on. It has to stop now! How long we can keep forgiving people like them...

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Pakistani

Nov 10, 2014 10:32pm

we have excellent talent pool should not be included in squad again

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Kalyan

Nov 10, 2014 11:41pm

We are too easy to forgive those who betray the nation and its people for self profit. No wonder corruption is rife in South Asia. We have no shortage of people with talent waiting for opportunities. If someone said they will give you say $1 million if you give up your profession for 5 years (where you can finish a Masters degree) and even that can be reduced to 3 years who will not take the money? True repentance would mean coming clean publicly of what they had done like Cronje and Vincent who also underwent life bans. I do not see a full confession anywhere or the role others played in all this.

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shah

Nov 10, 2014 11:46pm

This crook should.not come back to national team.

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anony

Nov 11, 2014 12:25am

Good luck Amir.

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anonymous

Nov 11, 2014 02:59am

Just registering my protest ... I am not in favor of seeing this young man play for green shirts again (period) Akram, Gulberg, Lahore.

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Imran A.

Nov 11, 2014 03:07am

Wow, I'm surprised at the intolerance in the comments. I get the feeling they are saints and have never made a mistake in their lives. But wait a minute, if they were saints, then saints are most forgiving people. So I conclude that the unforgiving people are suffering in their hearts and it hurts them even more when they see the world being so forgiving to the deserving ones.

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Justwsf

Nov 11, 2014 03:16am

we dont need it.... now.

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Harmony

Nov 11, 2014 04:52am

@Sheraz - "treason"...in a game of cricket??? He is not running the country. He was the only one out of the three to accept his culpability at his trial. You only know the ones who had been caught but lucky ones got away. Ignorance is bliss! He has suffered already. As it goes, once bitten twice shy. So, chances are he is unlikely to do it again.

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Shyam

Nov 11, 2014 06:02am

Come on Boards' Presidents. He was a dumb kid at that time and had already paid enough. Please let him play. ICC has heart to go easy on West Indies's abrupt pull off. But, cant forgive this kid?

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Nov 11, 2014 09:05am

A traitor back only in Pakistan

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Thommu

Nov 11, 2014 09:33am

Would any self respecting nation allow proven frauds in their national team. What a shameless thing to take him back.

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Saquib Javaid

Nov 11, 2014 12:53pm

Amir was only 18 when he got into the whole fiasco. Lets not forget Our ON-FIELD captain was also involved in the entire incident. Without any bias, I personally think it could have been extremely tough, for any individual for that matter, to say NO to your on-field captain, specially at the start of career. I believe we need to give him one more chance to move on. He was the best emerging fast bowler of the world, lets hope he can still deliver after that stigma.

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