LAHORE — Pakistan has hinted that opener Mohammad Hafeez and current one-day skipper Azhar Ali can face disciplinary action after the duo refused to train with tainted paceman Mohammad Amir in an ongoing fitness camp.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan has been quoted as telling BBC Urdu: “We have talked earlier regarding this matter and we will talk again, but still if they (Azhar and Hafeez) do not agree then the PCB will think about a disciplinary action against them.”
Amir’s bid to make a comeback to the national side was given a major boost last week after the PCB inducted the fast bowler in a camp for 26 players which also includes T20 captain Shahid Afridi.
The board on Wednesday issued a detailed press release backing Amir’s return to the national setup saying the paceman was fully rehabilitated and deserved another chance at international cricket.
But PCB’s efforts to reintegrate the pacer back into the national side took a hit Thursday after Azhar and Hafeez failed to ‘report to the camp’ at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
Azhar went public with his opposition soon after the development was reported in the news.
“Hafeez and I can’t accept Amir’s presence in the camp,” Azhar told reporters in Lahore. “We are firm on our stance but are ready to talk to officials,” he said.
Amir, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, was banned from the sport for a minimum of five years in 2011.
The trio were charged for spot fixing after taking money to arrange deliberate no balls in the Lord’s Test against England in 2010.
But in September this year the International Cricket Council lifted sanctions against the three players. Amir’s ban was relaxed in January this year and he was allowed to play domestic matches.
Misbah warns
Test skipper Misbahul Haq has warned the PCB that Amir’s return to the national side will bring a host of challenges for the management.
Talking to BBC Urdu, Misbah said Amir’s comeback to the side will not put an end to the already long-lasting issue, but new intricacies will arise.
“The concern regarding Amir’s return is a complicated subject,” said Misbah. “Me as the Test captain, players in the team and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will have to go through a testing process once Amir returns.”
Misbah believed repercussions of Amir’s return to the national team are unpredictable. “The reaction of cricket fans and the media when Amir comes back into the side is very uncertain and hard to predict,” he said.
“They (the captain and the management) will have to face questions from media when they travel to places like England.”
Misbah was hopeful that the PCB would be able to clear the concerns of the players who have voiced their concerns. — Agencies
