Disgraced cricketer Mohammad Amir dazzled in his first match outside Pakistan in five years as Bangladesh’s scandal-hit Twenty20 tournament resumed on Sunday.
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The Bangladesh Premier League was stopped after its second edition in 2013 due to match-fixing allegations, while Amir was banned from international cricket in 2010 for accepting money to orchestrate deliberate no-balls in the Lord’s Test against England.
Amir grabbed 4-30 including two wickets in two balls as he underlined the talent which before the ban had prompted many to compare him to cricket greats.
The 23-year-old’s return to the spotlight, however, was spoiled by Misbah-ul Haq, who smashed 61 off 39 balls to lead Rangpur Riders to a thrilling two-wicket win over his Chittagong Vikings in the opening match.
Amir’s five-year ban ended in September and he has already set his sights on next year’s ICC World Twenty20.
Misbah, who was eventually bowled out by a brilliant Amir yorker, said he supported the pacer’s participation in the league.
“For Amir, I think it (the BPL) is good for him,” Misbah told reporters in Dhaka. “He has been playing domestic cricket. So it’s a tournament where he can share the experience of some of the international players and see where he is at the moment.”
Misbah’s comments came in response to a question about whether he supported the view of team-mate Mohammad Hafeez, who refused an offer to play for Chittagong Vikings, saying he could not share the same dressing room with Amir.
