'If a cricketer is tainted, he is out' - Ramiz Raja condemns Mohammad Amir's comeback from retirement

Former Pakistan cricketer and PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) chairman Ramiz Raja recently passed a controversial statement on the Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir who recently came out of his international retirement. Notably, Amir last played for Pakistan in a T20I against England in 2020 and announced his retirement the same year after raising allegations of being mentally tortured by the team management.

However, ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, Amir has taken his retirement back after some positive discussions with the PCB. Recently, Ramiz Raja gave his thoughts on Amir’s U-turn on retirement and recalled his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal in 2010 and how it brought disgrace to the entire country.

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“Even though it's not my duty to better the moral standards of cricket, the society and fans need to understand that I had experienced it when he did the fixing, I was on my commentary duties at Lord's. I know how much hate I got at that time because people thought I was identifying with the fixers,” said Raja while speaking to a Pakistan News Channel.

Raja further said that ‘tainted’ cricketers must be sidelined from the cricketing fraternity and should not be forgiven.

"In cricket, if a cricketer is tainted anywhere in the globe, he is out. People would sympathize with him. But in my books, he should not be forgiven. Agar Mera beta bhi agar khuda na khasta aisa kar raha hota (If, God forbid, my son had done such a thing), I would disown him,” he added.

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Notably, Amir was involved in the spot-fixing scandal during the Lord's Test in England in 2010. The left-arm seamer intentionally bowled no-balls after receiving directives from his captain Salman Butt. As a result, he was banned for five years while the other accused Butt and Mohammad Asif were also sentenced to five years ban each.

Amir helped Pakistan win Champions Trophy 2017

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After serving his ban, Amir returned to international cricket in 2016 and redeemed himself in public eye by helping Pakistan win the Champions Trophy 2017. The left-arm seamer bowled an incredible new ball spell in the final where he scalped the big wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. He further finished as the highest wicket-taker for Pakistan in the 2019 World Cup with 17 wickets to his name from eight matches.

Meanwhile, Amir is currently part of the 29-member squad attending a special training camp with the Pakistan army in Kakul, Abbottabad.