PCB writes to ICC about Amir ban

The PCB has written a letter to the ICC requesting that the governing body review the conditions of Mohammad Amir's spot-fixing ban. The letter, sent to the ICC on Wednesday, requested that 22-year-old Amir be allowed to return to domestic cricket before his five-year ban ends in September 2015.

A PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo: "The PCB has officially sent a letter to ICC, asking it to review the ban on Mohammad Amir in light of the revision in the [ICC's] anti-corruption code."

As per the revised anti-corruption code, banned players could be allowed to return to domestic cricket before the end of their penalty if they meet certain criteria.

The letter was directed to the ICC's anti-corruption unit chairman, Ronnie Flanagan, who can sanction the early reintegration of banned players based on a number of factors, including the level of remorse shown by the player, their cooperation with the ACSU's education programme, and how helpful the player has been in terms of disclosing relevant information.

According to the PCB, Amir, who was banned for his role in the spot-fixing scandal of the 2010 Lord's Test, has met all the conditions and so qualifies for reintegration.

While the PCB has been in discussions with the ICC over Amir's case for a while now, it is reluctant to extend the same treatment to Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who were also banned - for longer periods - after the spot-fixing scandal. Unlike Amir, who pleaded guilty during the criminal investigation in London, Butt and Asif continued to insist they were innocent, even in the face of evidence against them, confessing only after they had lost all option of appealing against their bans.