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Pak minister urges ICC to review Aamer ban

By Pti

Karachi, Feb 6 (PTI) Pakistan Sports Minister AjazJakhrani today urged the International Cricket Council (ICC)to review the five-year ban imposed on the young pace bowlerMohammed Aamer.

Jakhrani said he was surprised by the lengthy ban onAamer because of his young age.

"We think the ICC must review the ban on Aamer againbecause he is young and was influenced into doing things hemight not have wanted to do," Jakhrani told media inIslamabad.

The minister said the overall impact of the bans onSalman Butt, Aamer and Mohammad Asif was a big shock forPakistan sports but apparently the ICC was convinced of theplayers guilt and took action as per their laws.

"But we think the punishment on Aamer is a bit too harshand he should be given a chance to redeem and reform and makea comeback to cricket," he said.

Shaharyar Khan, former PCB Chairman, said the players nowneeded to sit down and chalk out their future course of actionas they faced more problems with the London MetropolitanPolice also charging them with corruption offences.

"I don''t know how they will manage things but what isinteresting is that while the crown prosecution office hascalled them on March 17 they have 21 days to appeal the bansimposed by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal.

"It means they have to decide quickly what they want todo but I personally feel they must take the case in Londonseriously because it is criminal in nature and I would notlike to see a one-handed decision passed against them," Khantold PTI.

The former PCB chief also said that the bans imposed onthe players were justified because of the serious nature ofthe crime.

"I think it is time the ICC took some action againstcorruption in cricket and I was expecting a much harsherpunishment for the players. Yes I feel sad for Aamer but awrong is a wrong," Khan said.

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, however, feltthat the only way back to cricket for the players was througha legal course.

"I don''t know why the ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgathas said that Asif and Aamer cannot return to cricket becausethey have the right to appeal and Aamer is still young andeven if he completes five years of ban he will still be only24 when the ban ends," Mushtaq said.

The leg-spinner said he was disappointed with the wholeepisode but was happy to see that finally some measures werebeing taken to root out corruption from cricket.

Story first published: Monday, February 7, 2011, 0:00 [IST]
Other articles published on Feb 7, 2011