Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir could have a route into the IPL after reportedly receiving British citizenship.
According to reports, Amir has been issued a United Kingdom passport after completing the required legal process, having applied for citizenship several years ago. His wife, Narjis Khan, is a British citizen, which is understood to have helped his settlement process in the UK.
The development has led to discussion over whether Amir could now register for competitions where Pakistani players have effectively remained absent for several years, most notably the IPL. Pakistani players have not featured in the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008, with Azhar Mahmood the only Pakistan-born cricketer to appear in the tournament after that. Mahmood played 23 matches in the IPL between 2012 and 2015, having entered the auction as an English player after obtaining a British passport.
Amir’s case has therefore drawn comparisons with Mahmood’s. If allowed under the relevant rules, Amir could potentially register for the IPL auction as an overseas player through his British citizenship.
Will Mohammad Amir play as a local England player in the county?
There is, however, a distinction between holding British citizenship and immediately being treated as a local player in English domestic cricket. According to the regulations governing the qualification and registration of cricketers for county cricket, a cricketer can be a “Qualified Cricketer” if they are “a British or Irish citizen”, but that is followed by further conditions.
Regulation 2.1.2 says the player must not, “within the 12 months leading up to 1 April immediately before the Season in question,” have “played cricket for any Full Member Country except England at U17 level or above” or “played Professional Cricket in any Full Member Country outside England and Wales”, unless doing so as an overseas cricketer under local rules or in circumstances approved by the ECB.
That clause could be relevant in Amir’s case because he recently played in the PSL for Rawalpindiz as a domestic player. On that basis, British citizenship alone would not necessarily make him immediately eligible as a local player in county cricket.
Amir retired from international cricket for the second time in December 2024, having represented Pakistan in 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is. He was also part of Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy-winning squad, taking the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan in the final against India at The Oval. The 34-year-old has played 59 T20s since January 2025, picking up 75 scalps at 22.88 with an economy rate of 8.19.
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