Pakistan's Mohammad Amir to play in IPL 2024? Here's how he can be eligible

Will Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir play in IPL 2024? At least his recent comments to a Pakistani news channel made cricket fans feel that way. But how can a Pakistani player participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL)? It is through the backdoor entry of British citizenship that Amir is soon to get.

When Pakistan-based ARY channel asked Amir whether he would switch sides to England after playing for Pakistan and if he dreamed of playing in IPL 2024, the left-arm pacer said.

"First, I will not play for England. I have played for Pakistan. Second (talking of IPL), there is one more year to go," he told ARY news. 

"What will be the scenario at that time….I always say that I go step by step.

"We don’t know what will happen tomorrow and I start thinking about playing IPL in 2024."

Amir married British lawyer Narjis Khan in 2016 and moved to England in 2020.

He has three daughters.

The bowler is reportedly going to get a British passport soon.

Once he gets the passport, he will be eligible to play for England as well as in IPL.    

If he makes the IPL, he will be the second Pakistani national team player to play in the IPL with a non-Pakistani passport.

All-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who played for Pakistan between 1996 and 2007, played for Kings XI Punjab in 2012 and 2013 and for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2015.

Imran Tahir, who now holds a South African passport and plays for Chennai Super Kings, has also played for the Pakistan 'A' side, but he never made the main team of the national side.

The only time players from Pakistan were allowed to play in IPL was in 2008. Players like Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Salman Butt and Sohail Tanvir played in IPL in that year.