PCB wants British legal advice on Amir case

The PCB has sought advice from the Queen's Counsel in England, with regards to getting Mohammad Amir's five-year ban reduced. The interim PCB chairman, Najam Sethi, is intent on having Amir back in domestic cricket as soon as possible.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC has no clause in their procedure to reduce Amir's ban, but the PCB want to seek legal opinion - an attempt to find a way for the cricketer to return to competitive cricket ahead of schedule. The PCB want to ensure Amir is completely ready to make a comeback as soon as his ban ends, instead of beginning training only after it ends and further delaying his return. It was understood that a reduction was not possible as a five-year penalty is the minimum sentence under the ICC code.

The PCB, during this year's annual conference, had already requested the ICC to consider a few concessions, especially with regard to Amir using the board's facilities for training. There is a five-member ICC sub-committee, which was set up in July to review the anti-corruption code, looking into relaxing certain conditions of the five-year ban imposed on Amir. The sub-committee is yet to meet, but the most stringent stipulations of the ban will remain . The Pakistan board was looking to get permission from the ICC for Amir to train and play club cricket, rather than first-class or List A cricket. This is just one of the recommendations the sub-committee will look into, but there is no guarantee the committee will reach any consensus to offer relief.

Any recommendation, if made, is only likely to be granted in the final six to eight months of his ban. The current recommendations ensure that he is not allowed to train alongside his former, national team-mates.