Now we can look in the eyes of our people: Amir’s brother

Karachi, June 19 

Advertisement

Seven years after Mohammad Amir was banned for five years for spot-fixing, his family has finally heaved a sigh of relief. His brothers, Naveed and Ejaz, said Amir's brilliant new ball spell against India in the Champions Trophy final and the celebrations that followed across Pakistan have lifted a big burden off them.

“Our family village, Changa Bungial, is near Gujjar Khan near Rawalpindi. After the spot-fixing scandal, we were ashamed and couldn't face people,” said Naveed. “Our family has now settled in Lahore but our roots are in our village. When we go there now, we can proudly face our people.”  

“After completing his punishment, Amir wanted to do something exceptional for Pakistan to make up for his wrongdoing... I think he managed to do that on Sunday,” he said. “Everyone is calling us from our village to congratulate us on Amir's performance.”

Naveed said the family had been Amir's main support system while he was serving the ban. “It was a terrible time for us. Our father was very upset but we all realized that he was just a kid who had made a mistake and we needed to support him,” he said. — PTI