Granted visa, Amir to resume career in New Zealand

 Tainted Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir will resume his international cricket career in New Zealand as immigration officials today granted him a visa following a five-year ban and jail time for indulging in spot-fixing during the 2010 tour of England.

23-year-old Amir will be travelling with the Pakistan team to play in one-day and Twenty20 series against.

Amir completed a five-year ban from international cricket in September and served six months of a three-year prison sentence for taking bribes to bowl no balls at specified moments in a Test match against England at Lord's in 2010.

Reports said New Zealand immigration officials considered withholding Amir's visa on character grounds, but decided to allow him to enter the country, taking into account his completed suspension and support for him from the Pakistan and New Zealand cricket boards.

Picked in the squad last week for the New Zealand tour despite some resentment by fellow players, Amir's comeback to international cricket was dependent on him getting a visa.

Amir last appeared for the national team in a Test against England at Lord's in August 2010 before the scandal came to the fore. Amir and two other players — captain Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif — were suspended by the International Cricket Council after the Test for taking money to bowl predetermined no-balls in a spot-fixing scam.

The trio was than banned in February 2011 for five years for spot-fixing by the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC and also served varying jail terms for corruption and cheating in the United Kingdom. Their bans expired in September last year and the ICC, under a special clause of its anti-corruption code, allowed relaxation to Amir to resume playing domestic cricket in early 2015.

The left-arm pacer was just 18 and had appeared in 14 Tests, 15 ODIs and 18 T20 internationals when he played in his Test.

Pakistan will play New Zealand in three Twenty20 internationals starting in Auckland on January 15 and three one-day internationals later in the month.