Mohammad Aamer was banned for five years after the 2010 spot-fixing scandal © Getty Images
London: Disgraced Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Aamer has been left out of the squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against England in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The left-hander, who became eligible to represent his country after serving his five-year ban for spot-fixing, had been linked with a return to the side during the two warm-up matches for the ‘A’ team against the Alastair Cook-led side early next month, The Guardian reported. The tainted trio of Amir, former captain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif served time in prison and were banned for their role in the infamous 2010 Lord’s spot-fixing scandal. READ: Mohammad Aamer’s bowling technique better than Wasim Akram’s, says Ian Pont
Aamer took 51 wickets in 14 Tests and 25 in 15 One-Day Internationals (ODI) before he was handed a five-year ban for bowling deliberate no-balls by pre-arrangement during the fourth test against England at Lord’s. While the disgraced trio are looking to make their comeback in international cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made it clear that the three would be slowly rehabilitated back into the Pakistan team starting with local tournaments. Many former cricketers have expressed dissatisfaction over the decision to bring them back into the fold, especially batting legend Javed Miandad. READ: Looking forward to playing for Pakistan again, says Aamer
Pakistan will play the first Test match in Abu Dhabi on October 13, while the second and third one will be held in Dubai (October 22) and Sharjah [November 1] respectively.
Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (c), Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan.