Paceman Mohammad Aamir, who served a prison term for spot-fixing, said he was ready to respond to his critics with wickets - and love - after being selected on Friday for Pakistan's limited-overs tour of New Zealand. In an interview with AFP, Aamir said he was confident most fans were on his side. "I am sure fans will love me," he said. "But even if there are taunts and harsh remarks I am ready for that and will do my best to reply to them with love and by taking wickets."

He said: "I have toured New Zealand before and know they love the game and they are so caring and loving, so I don't expect anything untoward from them. "I am sure they will adore me," he added. Aamir said he was grateful he had been handed a second innings in cricket.

"It's very difficult to get a second chance, so it's a big thing from my country, officials and fans that they have given me another chance," he said. "When my ban was relaxed I began playing club cricket. Imagine, for a person who had played at Lord's, to play with a club team who didn't have proper kit against another club team in Lahore. "One of the three stumps was broken and we played with a 300 rupee ($3) ball, but that match helped me concentrate on putting the bad times behind me."

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016