Disgraced Pakistan paceman Mohammad Aamer hopes to return to the game before a five-year ban ends next year if the world cricket body amends its anticorruption code.

Aamer’s spot-fixing ban ends in September 2015, but Pakistan Cricket Board officials have applied for it to be relaxed, with the matter likely to be finalised in October. “It’s a frustratingly lengthy wait and I am counting every day with my fingers crossed,” the 22-year-old said yesterday.

He was found guilty of spot-fixing during a Test at Lord’s in 2010 with two team-mates, spent three months in a British jail and was banned in 2011 from the game by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The cricket board last year requested the ICC relax some of the conditions of Aamer’s ban to allow him to take part in domestic matches.

That prompted the ICC to form a committee to look into it and agreed to review its anti-corruption code which carries a minimum five-year ban for offenders.

“I have never lost hope,” Aamer said. “I train hard and will resume training in the next few days after the Ramadan break.”