Teenage fast bowler set to serve five-year ban from cricket
Disgraced Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has decided not to appeal against a five-year ban from cricket.
The 19-year-old was considered one of the best young bowlers in international cricket before he was sentenced to six months in prison for spot-fixing during the 2010 Lord's Test against England.
Amir returned home from jail on Sunday aftter serving three months in a young offenders' institution in Great Britain.
Team-mates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are serving 30 and 12 month sentences respectively after all three players were found guilty of corruption and receiving illegal money.
The International Cricket Council banned the trio for violating the players' code of conduct, with Amir receiving the minimum five-year punishment.
No intention
"Through his lawyer, Amir has informed us that he has no intention of filing an appeal against the ban," an ICC spokesman said.
Under the rules, Amir could have appealed against the ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland, but legal experts believe he lost that possibility after pleading guilty.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf told reporters on Thursday the board would consider any appeal from Amir.
"If Amir makes any appeal to us we will look into his case but at the moment he will have to serve the five-year ban as per ICC regulations," Ashraf said.
"Unfortunately he messed up his own career. But definitely we want to work on his rehabilitation and provide him counselling."
