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Mohammad Amir makes his long-awaited and controversial return to Test cricket for the first Test between England and Pakistan at Lords on Thursday, live on Sky Sports. Weve collated the views on Amirs return from inside the Sky Sports cricket commentary team, from England players past and present, as well as one or two other greats of the game...Michael Atherton He made a bad mistake and he deserved some punishment, there is no getting away from that.Five years out of the game and going to jail is a pretty heavy punishment - I think it was a six-month sentence of which he served three.But I do think there were some mitigating factors and thats why Ive had some sympathy for him and why I believe he deserves a second chance.The first circumstance is the nature of the sting. Its important to understand that this was not a betting scam, there could be no bets made.This was a sting set up to show that players were corruptible. It is perfectly fair to argue, I think, that the newspaper was creating a crime and enticing people into crime, although the justification was that the journalist had been given a tip-off.They turned to the youngest and most vulnerable player in that team and put him under pressure to bowl those no-balls. So, I think on those two mitigating factors a ban for life would be unbelievably harsh. A five-year ban - thats fine. Sky pundits Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain both agree that Mohammad Amir has served his punishment and should be allowed to move on Nasser HussainI am less sympathetic than Michael, because although it was a sting operation, Amir still knew what he was doing was wrong. He has said himself; I was cheating the game and the public.He is not a naive young man, he is well educated. They would have been told about the dangers of match-fixing, like we all were as players over the years - thats the wrong side, and why I believe he should have got the ban he did.But dont judge a person until youve walked in their shoes. Put yourself in that position - 18 years old, your hero Salman Butt, who has captained you most of your career says; do this, and if you dont, youll be in big trouble, and in a culture where youre told to look up to and respect senior players. Amir (L) pictured with his then captain, Salman Butt (R) during the 2010 tour of England Given that situation he made one wrong decision in his life, and should he pay for that for the rest of his career? I dont think so. He made an error and has paid for his error. I think were a very cruel society if we tell a young 18-year-old that hes made one error, and thats it for his life.It will be very tough for him at Lords, he will get booed and have no-ball shouted at him, but that comes with the mistake he made.David LloydIts nothing to do with the individual, but for me, match-fixers, spot-fixers, should be banned for life. My opinion on that has never changed.I dont buy the excuse that he was young. Amir had played international cricket, and every international cricketer would know full well what you do when you get an approach. He chose not to.Im quite happy for him to play cricket at club level in Pakistan, but my view is that he shouldnt play international cricket for Pakistan. That happens to be my opinion, other people have theirs which Im very relaxed about. The decision has been made, I dont agree with it but life goes on.Michael HoldingPeople have made mistakes in life, and been given second chances. People have committed murder, served their term, and found themselves back in society. What Amir did is minor in comparison.If people arent willing to forget the past, then certainly it might affect him. But what he has to try to do, is move on. If he goes out there and anyone boos or tries to heckle him, he has to just ignore them.I am happy to see that he is back. When the incident occurred, I think he was pressured into doing what he did and I dont think it was naturally what he wanted to do.Hopefully its all upward going forward for him now and he will get back to showing us the ability he already displayed when he was a teenager. Amir is looking forward to bowling at England’s captain and ‘backbone’ Alastair Cook when he makes his return to Test cricket Bob WillisIm very pleased indeed that he is back. I felt very sorry for him at the time and understood the predicament he found himself in.He wasnt an innocent young man, but a naive one, and just a teenager. He had a captain he obviously revered who told him to do something wrong. It would take a very strong-willed teenager to turn round and say no to the captain. He was easy prey.He has served his time - went through a very difficult period in his life - and has rehabilitated himself.He is still a young, and very fine bowler. I hope he goes well and I hope that the English crowds are kind to him. Im sure there will be a few idiots who might voice their protests, but hopefully not at Lords.Kevin PietersenAny sportsman or woman caught match fixing, spot fixing or taking drugs should be banned for life, Pietersen told The Telegraph. They have broken the rules, should pay the price and not be given a second chance.People always deserve a second chance in life but sport is different. We are paid to play a sport we love and are damn lucky to lead the life of a professional cricketer. To try and gain an advantage by taking drugs or devaluing your sport by being bribed is breaking the 11th and 12th commandments. There can be no way back. Kevin Pietersen faced Mohammad Amir when Pakistan last toured England in 2010 Sachin TendulkarI think those that decided to penalise him, have already done so. He has served his sentence, and now he is able to pay.He is a good bowler, has a huge amount of skill, and if he gets his rhythm right he can hopefully do something special.Charlotte EdwardsI dont condone in any way what he did. He made a huge mistake, but at a very young age. It would be sad for a talent like him not to be given a second chance. We all make mistakes.In the Pakistan system, seniority really counts, I just felt that he was pressured into it, and youre very impressionable at that age.I certainly wont be booing him at Lords. You never want to see anyone booed on a cricket field but I cant be certain that its not going to happen, although if theres any ground in the world that would be quite lenient, it would be Lords. Amir collects his man-of-the-series award during the Lords Test in 2010, his last for Pakistan He is a fine cricketer, and lets hope now that his cricket will do the talking. Although, hopefully he wont be too successful against England.Dominic CorkI think if youve been found guilty of spot-fixing or any sort of cheating in sport - life ban. That would be my way of stopping it.He has not been given that; hes back in, so now we have to support him. He has been accepted back in by the ICC and we will see what he does.He is a talent; he has got pace, late swing and will cause England batsmen a lot of problems. Just ask Marcus Trescothick. Amir poses major threat Marcus Trescothick predicts Englands batsmen will struggle to cope with Mohammad Amir this summer. Stuart BroadIt is a huge story, back for his first Test at Lords since the controversy six years ago, a massive story. But, as a team, it is a dangerous place to get waylaid by that, because we could find ourselves in a lot of trouble.Having seen the way Amir has bowled at Taunton, we need to get in the right frame of mind, because he can do us some damage.We need to just look at him as a cricketer and a bowler, and how we can negate that. Amir can do damage Stuart Broad says England must forget Pakistans Mohammad Amirs past and just prepare to face him. Joe RootThe decision has been made for him to play, so theres nothing further to say on it really.Its a great opportunity for me to face him, Ive not played him before, so Im looking forward to that challenge and seeing how we go against him throughout this series.Gary BallanceHe has served his time. I think he deserves a second chance. He is obviously a quality bowler so it is going to be tough facing him, but were going to be up for it.He showed when he was last here in 2010 how skillful he is and we know how tough it will be - especially with the ball swinging and seaming - its not going to be easy but we play in these conditions a lot. So hopefully well be ready for him.Wahab Riaz Wahab Riaz told Sky Sports that he believes Mohammad Amir can handle the pressure when he makes his return to Lords for the first Test against England Everybody is supporting Amir, nobody is reluctant. Everyone is taking to him as our young brother, he is a part of our family. We are all behind him.He is a very talented bowler; is a very strong lad with good vision. He is eager to perform. What has happened in the past has gone now. I truly want him to perform well, to take five wickets in this Test - get his name and his image back and win this first Test for Pakistan.You cannot stop what people are going to say; it doesnt matter what people think. We are not here to answer the people, we just want to play good cricket, a competitive series with England. They are a good team in their own home conditions, and our focus is on playing as well as we can at Lords.Watch the first Investec Test between England and Pakistan from Lords live on Sky Sports 2 from 10am on Thursday, July 14. Also See: Pakistan v England: Story of 2015 Pakistan fixtures/results Live cricket on Sky Cricket videos Custom Anaheim Ducks Jerseys . American Lindsey Jacobellis was third, while Japans Yuka Fujimori finished just off the podium. Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., earned bronze at the 2006 Olympic Games and is set to return to the Games this February in Sochi, Russia. Adam Henrique Jersey . 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He was headed for his fourth triple-double of the season, but sat down with about three minutes left because of the lopsided score. Kirk Hinrich scored 19 points for Chicago, going 5 for 6 on 3-pointers, Carlos Boozer added 18 points, D.KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Atlanta Braves agreed Wednesday on a $14.1 million, one-year contract with Ervin Santana, bolstering their injury plagued starting rotation. The 33-year-old right-hander went 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 32 starts for the Kansas City Royals last season and should make a huge impact with the battered Braves, who are facing the prospect of losing Kris Medlen for the season and opening with Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor on the disabled list. Medlen, who had been announced as Atlantas opening-day starter, left a spring training outing Sunday after grabbing his right elbow. Initial tests showed ligament damage, and he will undergo further examination to determine if he needs surgery for the second time in less than four years. Medlen said hes already preparing himself to miss the entire season. Beachy left a start Monday because of continuing problems with his right elbow, and Minor has yet to pitch this spring because of a sore shoulder. "In light of what has happened over the past few days with our pitching staff, we felt it was incumbent on us to do everything we could to strengthen our starting pitching," Braves general manager Frank Wren told reporters before a game against Washington. Santana will be pitching in the NL for the first time in his 10-year career. He spent eight seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before being traded to the Royals in 2013, helping Kansas City post an 86-76 record, their best since 1989. But Santana, who made $13 million in the final year of his contract, turned down a $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Royals and became a free agent. Given his hefty contract demands, he remained unsigned as spring training began, despite putting up some impressive career numbers. "This guy makes our rotation a lot better than where we are at now," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, praising Wren. "We lost Medlen and Beachy in a matter of 2 1/2 days and he went out there and got the best pitcher available for us." Santana threw a bullpen at the Braves spring training complex on Wednesday, which Gonzalez said went well. Despite his late entrance to camp, Santana could be ready for the start of the season. "It will be close," Gonzalez said. "We are kind of keeping our fingers crossed that we can get him enough innings where he can start for us." Santana was an AL All-Star in 2008, tossed a no-hitter in 2011, and has reached double-figure wins five times, going a career-best 17-10 in 2010 and twice winning 16 games. Overall, he is 105-90 with a 4.19 ERA. Santanas agent, Jay Alou, said he initially received a text from Wren on Sunday, then got another call Tuesday night while negotiating with other clubs. It didnt take long to reach an agreement with Atlanta, a deal that includes award bonuses. Its easy to see why the Braves felt a sensee of desperation.dddddddddddd Medlen went a team-leading 15-12 with a 3.11 ERA last season, while Minor was 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA. The team also was counting on a full recovery for Beachy, who was one of the NLs most effective pitchers in 2012 before he underwent season-ending elbow surgery. Beachy has been limited to a total of 18 starts over the past two seasons, enduring several setbacks in his attempt to come back. After his latest problem, he will miss his next scheduled spring start and faces another trip to the DL. Minor, who underwent urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31, hopes to pitch within the next week but also seems likely to start the season on the DL while he builds his arm strength. Given all the health issues, the Braves got to the go-ahead from corporate owner Liberty Media to bump the payroll well above the projected $100 million limit. Wren called it "an incredible decision by the organization." With opening day less than three weeks away, the only healthy members of the Braves possible rotation are second-year pitchers Julio Teheran (14-8 last season) and Alex Wood, rookie David Hale and non-roster invitee Freddy Garcia. Hale and Garcia have both struggled this spring. Atlanta also signed veteran Gavin Floyd, but he is coming off Tommy John surgery and wont be ready to pitch until at least May. Now, add Santana to the list, though it will likely be mid-April before he is prepared to join the rotation. He has been throwing on the side and could make his spring training debut next week. "We want to take the right amount of caution to get him ready right, and be ready for the long haul," Wren said. By signing Santana, the Braves forfeited their first-round pick in Junes amateur draft, No. 26 overall, and the Royals will receive a compensation-round selection, the 28th overall. Atlantas first pick is now 32nd overall, as compensation for losing free agent catcher Brian McCann, who signed with the New York Yankees. Santanas signing leaves only two free agents -- Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales -- available from the 13 players who turned down qualifying offers. If they agree to one-year contracts after opening day, they wouldnt be subject to qualifying offers this November. If they wait until after the draft to reach agreements, clubs that sign them wont lose selections. Among the 22 qualifying offers in the two years of the new labour contract, none have been accepted. "Frankly, the players havent adjusted to the change," New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "To blame the system versus the marketplace and blame the system versus a misunderstanding of the marketplace I think is a little one-sided. From a management standpoint, Id say, Hey, Im surprised if you guys havent taken a qualifying offer. Maybe they should have." ' ' '