PCB rejects Azhar’s resignation

LAHORE — Pakistan’s cricket chief Tuesday said he had refused to accept one-day captain Azhar Ali’s resignation over the widely-tipped selection of convicted spot-fixer Mohammad Amir, saying the team could not afford a crisis at this time. Azhar had tendered his resignation to protest Amir’s prospective return to the national team for next month’s tour of New Zealand, almost six years after he was banned and jailed for deliberately bowling no-balls as part of a betting scam in a Test match. Speaking to AFP, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said he had changed 30-year-old Azhar’s mind. “I met Azhar and since he resigned as captain I convinced him not to do so as Pakistan cricket cannot afford a crisis at this time,” he said. Azhar and former Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez refused to train with Amir in the national team’s fitness camp last week but returned after being threatened with disciplinary action. Beyond the controversy surrounding the returning paceman, Pakistan was hit Sunday with the provisional suspension of its premier spinner Yasir Shah after he tested positive for a banned substance. Pakistan is likely to announce the squad for the New Zealand tour in the next couple of days. It plays three one-day and as many Twenty20 internationals on the tour starting Jan. 15. Amir, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, was banned after a spot-fixing scandal on the 2010 tour of England. The trio were charged for accepting illegal money in return for deliberate no-balls during the Lord’s Test against England. The three players were also jailed by a UK court in 2011. But the International Cricket Council in September this year allowed them to return to international cricket. Azhar took over as one-day captain in April this year after Misbahul Haq retired from limited over cricket following the 2015 World Cup. Court gives Amir green signal A Pakistani court Tuesday rejected a petition against the inclusion of Amir in the national cricket team, clearing the last hurdle to his comeback. The prospect of the trio returning to national colours after serving their bans has polarized opinions, with one lawyer petitioning the Lahore High Court to issue a stay order against a recall for Amir. Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan rejected the petition, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi. “I pleaded the case on behalf of the PCB and our opinion is that Amir completed his ban and as per country’s constitution he has every right to play cricket,” Rizvi told AFP. “The judge on hearing the arguments rejected the petition filed by a lawyer, Munsif Awan,” he added. Legendary Pakistan pacemen Imran Khan and Wasim Akram have also backed Amir’s return to international cricket. “We also informed the court that Amir will play under the microscopic eyes of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and the PCB,” said Rizvi.