Even our religion allows forgiveness, then why not for Amir: Wasim Akram

ISLAMABAD: Former Captain Wasim Akram feels pacer Mohammad Amir definitely deserved a chance for a comeback to international cricket saying even our religion Islam allows and promotes forgiveness.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has allowed Amir to play domestic cricket. The decision was taken by the ICC Board at its first meeting of 2015 at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai this week.

Wasim Akram said Amir deserves another chance as he was very young when he got involved in this spot fixing scandal. "Even our religion Islam allows and promotes forgiveness. I appeal to the Pakistani nation to forgive Amir for his mistakes and support him now," he said while talking to a private news channel.

Wasim said Amir made a mistake at a very young age and I think he has learnt from it. "It would not be fair to now stop him from making a comeback,"Wasim said adding the whole nation should forgive Amir for his past now.

Former batsman Mohammad Yousuf said that he was happy to see Amir getting another chance. "I just hope he has come clean on everything and has learnt his lesson. "He is still young and he can help a lot of other players in domestic cricket to stay away from corruption," Yousuf said.

Former captain said that the national team would eventually be strengthened by Aamir's return as his quality as a player was indisputable. "We will only know whether he is the same player when he resumes playing domestic cricket whenever that is," he said.

Another former captain Rashid Latif said that playing domestic cricket was the right of Amir. "The ICC anti-corruption has given him this relaxation so it is only fair he plays domestic cricket," he said.

But Latif cautioned that getting back into international cricket would not be that easy for Amir. "Obviously they are differing opinions even in the cricket community in Pakistan about whether Amir should be allowed back into cricket.

They are many people who were very hurt by his actions. Only time will tell whether he is able to return to the national team," Latif said.