Mohammad Amir has said he is "terribly lucky" to be back in the Test set-up, having served a jail sentence in the UK and a five-year suspension from the ICC for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing case. Coincidentally, Amir is set to resume his Test career next month at Lord's - the scene of the fixing scandal.
Pakistan fast bowler
Ahead of the Pakistan team's departure for England on Saturday, Amir also said he had "unfinished business" and sought a fresh start to help Pakistan win the four-Test series.
"To be honest I never thought about my comeback and I feel terribly lucky to be back to play Test cricket again," Amir told ESPNcricinfo. "I was all excited for Test cricket because that is where my career was held back and I still can't believe that this is happening. You call it a coincidence or whatever, but to me it is a blessing that I am starting right from where I stopped in 2010. That tour was marred by the controversy and that left me with unfinished business. My only aim is to be the best bowler of the series, get Pakistan to win the series, and sign off with fresh memories."
Amir was successfully reintegrated into Pakistan's limited-overs team this year, but he has not played a Test since 2010. The fast bowler conceded he hasn't forgotten the past, but he hoped to overcome it and put his name on the Lord's honours board again.
Amir, only 18 then, was the youngest player to find a place on the honours board when he claimed 6 for 84 on his first tour to England in 2010. He was Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in the four-Test series with 19 at an average of 18.36, and ultimately shared the Player-of-the-Series award with England batsman Jonathan Trott. He and Mohammad Asif were then convicted after deliberately bowling no-balls at Lord's.
"I might have registered my comeback months ago, but Test cricket is the actual cricket, and playing it again is what I was looking forward to, and this is my real comeback," Amir said. "I won't say that I have forgotten my past, as my memory still holds those ugly moments from 2010, but I want to perform well. I want to get my name on the honours board at Lord's once again to win back the love and support in England. I am looking at this tour positively as I want to supersede my past with a better future."
Amir's reintegration had met internal opposition, with ODI captain Azhar Ali and former captain Mohammad Hafeez choosing to stay away from Pakistan's training camp in December, before the New Zealand tour. The side has moved on since, and Amir said he was "stronger than before", having learnt his lesson.
"As a bowler I always try to be different every day and want to come hard to take a step towards improvement," he said. "You will see a different Amir this time in England as a bowler, as a person with new refreshing thoughts. See I have gone through a lot of tough times, which actually taught me a lot of good lessons, and now I am much stronger than before. With every passing day I am getting mature, and maturity comes with time and experience. I got enough in my life to stand strong and look for a positive future ahead."