Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir received a visa to travel to Ireland but not in time to be avail-able for the opening Twenty20 on Friday in Dublin.
Amir will join the team on Friday and be available for the two other T20s on Sunday and Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Thursday.
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi took immediate action to ensure that Amir got clearance to travel to Ireland, sources added.
The PCB actively engaged with Cricket Ireland regarding Amir’s visa situation. All players, including Amir, had their visa applications processed immediately after the Kakul camp, but anxiety had gripped the PCB headquarters after Amir’s didn’t get his visa.
Amir was banned from international cricket for five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC) along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, in a spot-fixing case in 2010.
Amir also served half of a six-month custodial sentence in young offenders institutes in Feltham and Dorset.
Amir is remembered for his breathtaking spell in the final where he dismantled India’s top order by removing Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and the chase-master Virat Kohli.
But Amir took back retirement before the recent series against New Zealand and was included in the national squad.
Pakistan team will play three T20Is in Ireland, followed by four in England. After the England series, Pakistan will leave for the United States to feature in the T20 World Cup.
Squads
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan
Pakistan’s schedule of matches against Ireland May 10: First T20I at Clontarf May 12: Second T20I at Clontarf May 14: Third T20I at Clontarf.—AP