London, Feb 2: Young Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been released from jail after serving half of his six-month sentence in a spot-fixing case.
Amir, who was sent to jail on November 3 last year along with former captain Salman Butt and pacer Mohammed Asif for a plot to deliberately bowl no balls in a Test match against England in 2010, was released from Portland prison in Dorset, yesterday.
ICC had banned Amir for five years, Asif for seven years (two years suspended) and Butt 10 years (five years suspended) from playing the game.
The 19-year-old was due to be let out of Prison tomorrow but the date, according to reports, was brought two days early to avoid media attention.
It was said at the time of the pronouncement of the judgement that the cricketers might have to serve just half of their sentences as they can be released on license if their behavior is good.
Amir has a visa to stay in England until the end of March.
Amir and his two team-mates were sentenced in November 2011 at Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat following a sting operation by now defunct ‘News of the World'.
Asif, 29, was handed a one-year jail term, while Butt, 27, was sentenced to two and a half year imprisonment for their roles in the spot-fixing case.
The sting operation proved that Asif and Amir bowled deliberate no-balls in the Lord's Test against England in 2010.
