Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman has said that form is the only reason behind Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt’s non-inclusion in the Pakistan team.

Asif and Butt along with fast bowlers Mohammad Amir were convicted of spot-fixing in 2011 and were banned for five years by the ICC. Butt and Asif are at present playing domestic cricket but have not been considered for national selection. On the other hand, Aamir was allowed to make a comeback in December 2015. Frustrated with the treatment, the duo were contemplating writing a letter to the apex body of the game to confirm whether the world body had any reservations on them playing for Pakistan again.

However, Shaharyar Khan made it clear that neither the PCB nor the ICC has any reservation on the duo and it will be considered for selection only after they perform well in domestic circuit.

“There is no restriction or reservations from us or the ICC. The fact is that the national selectors can consider them for selection but first, they have to show their form and fitness at a consistent level in domestic cricket,” Khan said.

“If they can perform consistently at the domestic level in first-class cricket they can be considered by the selectors who have not been given any instructions not to select them,” Khan added.

The PCB chairman also said that Amir was treated differently because he was given some relaxation from the ICC and was allowed to play domestic cricket even before serving the full-time period of the ban.

“But if Butt and Asif do well and fulfil all ICC anti-corruption requirements there is no bar on them playing international cricket again,” he insisted.