Amir freed early from jail

Young Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been released from Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset after spending three months in prison instead of serving a full six-month sentence.

Young Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been released from Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset after spending three months in prison instead of serving a full six-month sentence.

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Amir was sent to jail on November 3 last year after being convicted in a spot-fixing scandal along with teammates Mohammed Asif and Salman Butt.

The 19-year-old was due to be let out of Prison Friday but the date, according to reports, was brought two days early to avoid media attention.

It was said at the time of the pronouncement of the judgement that the cricketers might have to serve just half of their sentences as they can be released on licence if their behaviour is good.

Amir has a visa to stay in England until the end of March.

Amir was handed a five-year ban by the ICC and the cricketer is believed to have filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the punishment.

Asif was given a seven-year ban, with two years suspended, and captain Butt was banned for ten years, five suspended by the ICC.

Amir and his two team-mates were sentenced in November 2011 at Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat following a sting operation by now defunct 'News of the World'.

Asif was handed a one-year jail term, while Butt was sentenced to two and a half year imprisonment for their roles in the spot-fixing case.

The sting operation proved that Asif and Amir bowled deliberate no-balls in the Lord's Test against England in 2010.