Pakistan name Test squad to face England with Amir returning to the side

Sport360 staff 17:23 05/06/2016
Amir (top left) returns to the scene of his crime.

Amir was jailed in England for his role in the plot where he agreed to bowl no-balls to order in a Test at Lord’s. The ‘fix’ was part of an undercover investigation by the News of the World newspaper.

The paceman was banned for five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and served half of a six-month prison sentence.

Amir returned to international cricket earlier this year in the white-ball format, playing in the World T20 and the inaugural Pakistan Super League, and has now become part of a Test squad for the first time since the 2010 tour.

His involvement in England will be subject to a visa application.

On Sunday, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announced the 17-man squad and said, in a press conference broadcast via Facebook: ” Mohammad Amir’s selection is subject to a visa. God willing, the visa will come this week.

“(If the visa doesn’t come) we can select a new player or our (training) camp has fast bowlers as well.

“Our A team going to England, we can look at their matches before Pakistan’s first Test. We can select someone from there based on performances, if they play well.”

Spinner Yasir Shah was also named in the squad, and he is set for his first international outing since the end of his three-month ICC ban for a positive dope test involving chlorthalidone.

Pakistan will play four Tests against England, beginning at Lord’s on July 14, before a five-match one-day international series followed by a Twenty20 international.

Pakistan squad for Test tour of England: Mohammad Hafeez, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan.

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