LAHORE: Left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir is set to depart for Dublin after getting a visa ahead of the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Ireland commencing from May 10, Geo News reported citing sources.
The development comes after Amir’s visa was delayed and he wasn’t able to leave for Ireland with the Pakistan team on Tuesday.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi took immediate action to ensure that Amir got clearance to travel to Ireland, sources added.
The PCB actively engaged with Cricket Ireland regarding Amir’s visa situation. All players, including Amir, had their visa applications processed immediately after the Kakul camp, but anxiety had gripped the PCB headquarters after Amir’s didn’t get his visa.
Amir was banned from international cricket for five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, in a spot-fixing case in 2010.
Amir also served half of a six-month custodial sentence in young offenders institutes in Feltham and Dorset.
After marking his return in 2016, the 31-year-old helped Pakistan win the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 where Men in Green bamboozled the arch-rivals India in the final by 180 runs.
Amir is remembered for his breathtaking spell in the final where he dismantled India’s top order by removing Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and the chase-master Virat Kohli.
However, the left-arm bowler announced his international retirement at the age of 28 in December 2020, saying he could no longer play under the management and that he was being “tortured mentally”.
But Amir took back retirement before the recent series against New Zealand and was included in the national squad.
Pakistan team will play three T20Is in Ireland, followed by four in England. After the England series, Pakistan will leave for the United States to feature in the T20 World Cup.
Squads
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan
Pakistan’s schedule of matches against Ireland
May 10: First T20I at Clontarf
May 12: Second T20I at Clontarf
May 14: Third T20I at Clontarf
