RAWALPINDI: Former Pakistan pace prodigy Mohammad Amir on Tuesday urged young players to be careful of the company they kept to avoid ‘destroying’ their lives, as he prepared to make his return from a spot-fixing ban.

The 22-year-old was due to begin his first game back in domestic cricket on Monday but the first two days of the Patron’s Trophy mach at the Army Cricket Ground were cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch.

Amir was one of three Pakistanis banned from all cricket for at least five years for arranging no-balls to order in a Test against England at Lord’s in 2010.

He urged young players to learn from his mistakes and concentrate on the game.

“If you want to achieve something in life you need to be very focused in your goals,” he said. “In these five years I’ve learnt you need to make good friends in life, have good company, don’t destroy your life.”

Amir, fellow quick bowler Mohammad Asif and then Pakistan captain Salman Butt were jailed in Britain over the spot-fixing scandal in 2011.

Amir’s ban was originally due to expire on Sept 2, but the International Cricket Council used discretionary powers to allow him to return to domestic cricket early, citing his early admission of guilt and cooperation with anti-corruption authorities.

Looking more muscular than when he last played competitively, Amir said he had been working hard on his fitness and had not lost any of the zest that saw him become the youngest bowler, at just 18, to take 50 Test wickets.

“I haven’t played competitive cricket so far — when you play in the rhythm of a match you know what speeds you’re bowling at when you’re at a good ground wearing spikes,” he said.

“I feel in my practice that my pace hasn’t gone down, it’s going to be the same.”

Amir’s comeback match for Omar Associates team against the Army was washed out for the second consecutive day on Tuesday following torrential rainfall last week.

But he said he was hopeful of getting match practice on Wednesday, with the next game due to start in Rawalpindi on Friday, as he works on his goal of eventually returning to the national team.

His return has been eagerly awaited by most fans in cricket-mad Pakistan, though some notable critics, including former captain Ramiz Raja, have argued he should not be given a second chance in the sport.

Amir said he would do his best to prove his detractors wrong and show he had turned over a new leaf.

“I am trying my best and I did video messages with the ICC aimed at youngsters — don’t take shortcuts, be focused on your goals,” he said. “I would not wish the five years I went through on my worst enemies. Work hard with good intentions and leave the rest to Allah, at the end of the day Allah will respect that.”

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play