Pakistan cricket row: Azhar Ali, Hafeez refuse to join camp in Amir's presence

Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez and ODI skipper Azhar Ali refuse to train with tainted paceman Mohammad Amir

Lahore: Pakistan cricket braced for another storm when former Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez and current one-day skipper Azhar Ali refused to train with tainted paceman Mohammad Amir in an ongoing fitness camp.

Mohammad Amir  Pic/AFP

Hafeez told head coach Waqar Younis he would not attend any part of the camp in which Amir will participate, sources close to the matter said. “Hafeez had talked about his reservations when Amir was included in the camp and after meeting with Waqar, Hafeez told him categorically that he will not attend any part of the camp in which Amir is present,” a source close to Hafeez told AFP.

One-day captain Azhar Ali also backed Hafeez in boycotting the camp staged to train the team for next month’s tour of New Zealand, where they will play three one-day internationals and as many Twenty20 internationals. “Hafeez and I can’t accept Amir’s presence in the camp," Ali told reporters in Lahore. “We are firm on our stance but are ready to talk to officials," he said. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the absence of both players from the training camp.

Mohammad Hafeez

“Both Ali and Hafeez stayed away from the training camp today apparently because of Amir but we are trying to solve the matter,” a PCB spokesperson said.

Amir, along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, was banned from the sport for a minimum of five years in 2011. The trio were charged for spot fixing after taking money to arrange deliberate no balls in the Lord’s Test in 2010. But in September this year the ICC lifted sanctions against the three players. Amir’s ban was relaxed in January this year and he was allowed to play domestic matches.

Azhar Ali

He showed remarkable form on his return, taking 22 wickets in the non-first-class event followed by 34 in four qualifying rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy. He then took 16 wickets in four first class matches of the Quaid Trophy before taking 14 wickets in 11 Bangladesh Premier league games.

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