Mohammad Amir’s Lord's return sickens me: Graeme Swann

Pakistan is all set to play their first Test of the four-match series from July 14 at the Home of cricket, Lord’s. Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan paceman who recently made his comeback from a five-year spot-fixing ban, is set to lead his team’s pace attack. The former English spinner, Graeme Swann has come out lashing at Amir and the international cricket authorities.

Swann said that Amir should never have been allowed to return to international cricket after his actions in 2010. The most successful English off-spinner who claimed 255 Test wickets stated that ‘proper deterrents’ should be introduced to eradicate corruption.

“Mohammad Amir will walk out on the green and glorious turf at Lord’s on Thursday — and it will make me feel sick,” Swann wrote in a column for The Sun.

“This is a man who crushed the morality of the game. And yet he is being allowed back to play at the Home of Cricket. Amir should have been banned for life for his part in the corruption scandal of 2010.”

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“He is an incredibly talented bowler — he took 6-84 in that infamous Lord’s Test six years ago — but that does not excuse what he did. “No matter how good you are, if you sell your soul for 30 pieces of silver, you have to pay the consequences. And I don’t think he has.”

“The authorities could and should have created a much stronger deterrent across world cricket by making sure Amir never played again. I’ve heard all the arguments that Amir, like all criminals, should be reintegrated after serving his time”

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“But there is a bigger picture here. If you want to protect the integrity of the game, help cricket grow and inspire youngsters, there can be no place for corrupt players. You must have proper deterrents. If you’re 18 and commit a crime, you go to prison,” Swann concluded.

Earlier this week, Mohammad Amir received a positive response on his first-class return to England. Marcus Trescothick, former English captain Michael Atherton and Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq were all full of praises for the pacer.