Hafeez, Azhar to join camp, issues resolved: Shahryar Khan

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LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shahryar Khan has said that Hafeez and Azhar are now agreed to join training camp and all the issues have been resolved.

He said that the issue of inclusion of tainted paceman Mohammad Amir in the training camp had been resolved and the two objecting players had returned.

Former Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez and current one-day captain Azhar Ali had boycotted the camp on Thursday, refusing to train alongside Amir, who was jailed in 2011 for spot-fixing.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan said Hafeez and Ali had now joined the camp.

“The matter has been resolved,” Khan told reporters. “Both listened to me and agreed to join the camp unconditionally and will have to support Amir when he returns to the team.”

The training camp is staged to select the squad for next month’s tour of New Zealand where Pakistan play three one-day and as many Twenty20 internationals.

Hafeez, who in November spoke publicly against Amir, said he forgave him but was sticking to principle. “My stance was based on principle and it was portrayed in a wrong sense,” Hafeez told reporters.

“My stance is the same against all players who stained Pakistan’s image through corruption. “It’s my right to raise my voice, which I did, and I will do everything in my capacity to fight corruption,” said Hafeez.

“My stance is that all corrupt players should not be given another chance to represent Pakistan.”