Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja stated on Saturday that players involved in match-fixing should never be forgiven under any circumstances.
Raja's comments were in response to PCB's decision to include fast bowler Mohammad Amir in the squad despite his past involvement in match-fixing.
Speaking to a private news channel, Raja expressed his stance, saying, "My opinion on this matter is straightforward. While there may be sympathy for Amir, I believe there should be no forgiveness. If, God forbid, my son were to engage in such actions, I would disown him."
Raja's remarks came after Amir, who retired from international cricket in 2020 due to issues with PCB management at the time, reversed his decision and joined the Pakistani squad at the ongoing physical fitness camp at Pakistan Army's Kakul facility.
Reflecting on his experience as a commentator during the spot-fixing scandal, Raja recalled, "I remember the time when these players were involved in fixing, as I was doing commentary at Lord's cricket ground. I faced immense criticism because I was associated with the players involved in fixing, according to public perception, and I can never forget the backlash we received from the media."
Amir, along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, was banned from international cricket for five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in a spot-fixing case in 2010. The then-teenager Amir also served half of a six-month custodial sentence in young offenders' institutes in Feltham and Dorset.
After making his comeback in 2016, the 31-year-old Amir, who has represented Pakistan in 6 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20s, played a crucial role in Pakistan's victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, where the team defeated arch-rivals India in the final by 180 runs.
