Arif Ali—AFP
Lawyer says paceman ‘stained’ image of Pakistan and should not be allowed to play anymore.
A petition was filed in the Sindh High Court on Monday demanding a lifetime ban on disgraced paceman Mohammad Aamer after he was cleared last week to return to domestic cricket.
Aamer was given permission to play domestic cricket by the Anti-Corruption Unit of the International Cricket Council, bringing him a step closer to redemption for his part in one of the most scandalous episodes in modern cricket. But a petition filed Monday by lawyer Rana Faizul Hasan called for the 22-year-old to be banned for life to stop him damaging the image of Pakistan and cricket.
“Aamer stained the image of the country,” said Hasan. “He is a proven fixer and will do it again if he is allowed to play again.”
The court issued notices to the deputy attorney general and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a hearing on Feb. 16.
Aamer was one of three Pakistani players banned from the game for at least five years for arranging no-balls to order in a Test against England at Lord’s in 2010. He was also jailed in Britain in 2011, along with former capital Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif.
Aamer’s ban was due to expire on Sept. 2 2015, but the International Cricket Council used discretionary powers to allow him to return to domestic cricket early.