Source - IBN Live
Mohammad Amir's dream of returning to Pakistan team got fulfilled on Friday as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection panel picked him in the T20I and ODI squads for the New Zealand tour.
Amir, who has served a five-year ban for spot-fixing during the 2010 Test at Lord's, has endured the toughest time of his young career that was once touted to break fast-bowling records.
Amir's return was expected after he was included in the national camp. However, his selection is subject to grant of visa from the New Zealand government. If he fails to get it, Mohammad Irfan will be called in as replacement.
"If there are problems with travel documents and Amir can't tour, then Mohammad Irfan will replace him in the T20 squad. Irfan is not originally selected in the T20 squad because we want to give him a short break from the game," Haroon said.
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We have picked Amir in the touring squads for the internationals in New Zealand because he has done a lot of hard work and shown intent to do well for Pakistan since returning to domestic cricket last year.
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- Chief Selector Rasheed told PTI.
Aamir, along with then captain Salman Butt and fellow paceman Mohammad Asif, had been suspended by the ICC after being caught in a newspaper sting accepting money to bowl predetermined no-balls during the Lord's Test in 2010.
The tainted trio even served jail terms in the United Kingdom on charges of cheating and corruption. However, the ICC chose to relax Amir's ban earlier in 2015 allowing him to play domestic cricket.
When banned, Amir had played 14 Tests, 15 ODIs and 18 T20I.
The ODI team will be led by Azhar Ali, who incidentally, along with Mohammad Hafeez, had strongly opposed Amir's presence in the national camp and even threatened to quit as captain.
Pakistan are scheduled to play a three-match T20I series and three ODIs in New Zealand from January 15.
ODI Squad: Ahmad Shehzad, Azhar Ali (c), Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafiq, Baber Azam, Sohaib Maqsood, Zafar Gohar, Immad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmad (wk), Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir (subject to grant of visa)
T20I Squad: Ahmad Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Iftikhar Ahmad, Shahid Afridi (c), Immad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Amir Yamin, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir (subject to grant of visa), Umar Gul, Mohammad Rizwan, Saad Nasim