LAHORE — Pakistan's interim cricket chief said Monday he would ask the sport's governing body to reduce a five-year ban against promising fast bowler Mohammad Amir for spot fixing. Amir, regarded as hot property in international cricket for his pace and guile, was banned with teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in February 2011 by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The trio were exposed in a sting operation by now defunct British tabloid News of the World, which saw them promising to bowl deliberate no-balls in return for money in the 2010 Lord's Test against England. All three and their agent Mazhar Majeed were also jailed in 2011. Najam Sethi, appointed interim chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Sunday, said he would ask the ICC to reduce Amir's ban at its annual meeting in London starting Tuesday. “Amir is our talented cricketer and I will request the ICC that (as) he has spent two and a half years of his ban, was also jailed, so for God's sake reduce his ban,” Sethi told a press conference. Under the ICC players code of conduct the minimum punishment for such a violation is five years. Sethi, a 65-year-old journalist who was also interim chief minister of Punjab during a recent general election campaign, replaced Zaka Ashraf after he was suspended on charges of being dubiously elected. Sethi promised accountability over any failings of the national team following its dismal show in the Champions Trophy where it lost all three matches. “I want to stress that in the future the captain, coach, vice captain and the selection committee will be held accountable in case the team fails in any event,” said Sethi. Sethi said events such as Saturday's killing of 10 foreign climbers in the north made it difficult to bring international cricket back to Pakistan, a task he said would be for a permanent chairman. Neutral venues Pakistan Monday conceded its next two cricket series will be held at neutral venues, inviting bids to host South Africa and Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates. Officials had been reluctant to announce their next two series from October-January, instead hoping they could convince visiting teams to tour Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board Monday took out an advertisement in a local newspaper, inviting bids to sponsor two series, now confirmed for the UAE. — Agencies
