Hafeez was offered a contract by Bangladesh Premier League side Chittagong Vikings, where Amir is continuing his first-class cricket comeback after a five-year ban for spot-fixing during the 2010 tour of England.
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Hafeez refused to play with Amir in the Twenty20 competition, saying: “I can’t share the dressing room with someone who hurt my country’s integrity”.
“This is my personal opinion and this is not just about Pakistan players, it’s about all players”, the 35-year-old added. It is about the image of Pakistan cricket.
“I was approached by my agent to play for the Chittagong team, but when I knew that Amir was also in that team I refused it point blank”, he said.
Reports in the media suggest that a lucrative offer was put forward by an agent to Hafeez to represent BPL franchise Chittagong Vikings.
The Pakistan Cricket Board told Butt and Asif they must complete a “rehabilitation process” before they will be considered for Pakistan selection. I went through a few tough times as I restarted my career but thankfully have taken thirty-four wickets in the qualifying rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for my team Sui Southern Gas and helped them qualify for the main tournament where I have so far taken sixteen wickets in four matches.
Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq said he supported Amir’s inclusion in the Bangladesh league. PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan also previously said that there were a few players who did not want to play with these three, who had been found guilty of spot-fixing in the Lord’s Test of 2010, but had their bans lifted this year as per ICC protocol.
“This is a challenge I have given a lot of thought to, and come 22nd November when we meet the Rangers in Dhaka, I will be doing my utmost to ensure that I justify the trust placed on my skills by my team and hopefully we will emerge as the trophy winners”.
“It is pretty much his personal decision”.
“(But) I think a better judge of that are the ICC and the PCB.
“And especially the audience, the supporters, they really need to decide”.
“He has been playing domestic cricket, so it’s a tournament where he can share the experience of a few of the worldwide players and see where he is at the moment”.
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Amir grabbed 4-30 including two wickets in two balls as he underlined the talent which before the ban had prompted many to compare him to cricket greats.
