Aamer making first-class return?

Disgraced Pakistan paceman Mohammad Aamer could return to first-class cricket as early as next month after a relaxation of the conditions of his ban for spot-fixing, an official said Friday.

Aamer, 22, was banned for five years along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif in a spot-fixing case in England in 2010, and the trio were jailed by a UK court in 2011.

The paceman was interviewed in Lahore Friday by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after the governing body revised the players' code of conduct in November last year, adding a provision that allows a banned player to play in domestic games a certain period prior to the end of the ban.

The change of rules prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to file an appeal with the ICC to relax certain conditions of Aamer's ban last year.

A final decision on Aamer's appeal will be taken in ICC Board meeting in Dubai next week.