LAHORE: Former Pakistan cricket captain and well-known commentator, Ramiz Raja, has openly opposed the return of fast bowler Mohammad Amir to the national squad. Talking to media, he expressed a firm stance against Amir’s comeback, stating that his opinion on this is very simple. While sympathy may exist for him [Amir], in his book there is no forgiveness.”
Highlighting his principle stance against individuals involved in match-fixing, the former Chairman of PCB said that he would have disowned his son if he was engaged in such actions. He recalled the turbulent period during the spot-fixing scandal, reminiscing about the criticism he faced as a commentator at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Amir, who retired from international cricket in 2020 due to issues with the PCB management, recently withdrew his retirement and joined the Pakistani squad at a physical fitness camp in Kakul.
The left-arm pacer was banned from international cricket for five years by the ICC in 2010, alongside Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, in a spot-fixing case. Amir also served half of a six-month custodial sentence in young offender’s institutes in Feltham and Dorset.
Despite his past controversies, Amir made a notable return in 2016 and played a crucial role in Pakistan’s victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, where they defeated arch-rivals India in the final by 180 runs.
