There was nothing spectacular about Mohammad Amir’s first international appearance since serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing. Bowling at the iconic Eden Park in Auckland, the left-arm pacer finished with modest figures of 1-31 as Pakistan romped to a 16-run triumph in their opening Twenty20 International against New Zealand. It could have been a more impressive haul but skipper Shahid Afridi and Sohaib Maqsood floored comfortable chances off Amir’s bowling. Cricket can be a cruel game for bowlers especially if they have to rely on butter-fingered Pakistani fielders to hold on to catches. Amir will know what I’m talking about.

However, what’s more important is that Amir is back in international action. Not many believed that the youngster will be able to don national colours again after having been caught red-handed along with two of his team-mates - Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif - back in 2010. The trio were banned from playing cricket and even went to prison after it was proven that they were guilty of delivering deliberate, pre-planned no-balls in the Lord’s Test against England.

It was a scandal that rocked Pakistan cricket besides sending shockwaves across all part of the globe where the sport is played.

Under pressure, the international cricket fraternity showed its resolve against corruption by taking the spot-fixing trio to task. It remains to be seen whether it will also show a big enough heart to allow a smooth reintegration of players like Amir back in the game.

So far, it seems that things are falling into place for Amir. In fact his return to national duty has raised hopes for the other two characters of the spot-fixing saga - Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif. After an impressive return to domestic cricket, Butt is pressing for a slot in Pakistan’s top-order.

Critics backing Butt and Asif argue that the duo shouldn’t get a cold shoulder at a time when Amir is receiving a warm embrace. Others believe that you can’t talk about Amir and Asif in the same breath. They are like apples and oranges. This won’t be an easy debate to settle.

For the moment, I’ll stick to the case of Mohammad Amir.

He is 23 and given a few more matches, Amir will be at the top of his game. That would mean he would once again be the most exciting fast bowler in international cricket.

Talking about the moral compass, he has paid the price for what he did and it is time that he is allowed to move on. Unless he proves otherwise, Amir seems to have learned from his mistakes. In any case he is a smart man, who is now fully aware of the consequences of any misdemeanours. It is his proverbial second chance and I’m sure Amir wants to make the most of it.

Will he be able to do it?

To answer that I would want you to revisit Amir’s comeback game at Eden Park. The stadium had a sizeable number of Pakistani supporters who were mostly backing Amir. The Kiwis, in general, are a supportive lot when you compare them with the likes of Australian fans or the English Barmy Army. Even then the boos that Amir received in Auckland were pretty audible.

Imagine the testing times he will have to go through if Amir is picked for this summer’s tour of England - the place where he committed his crime. Already a few former England stalwarts are warning Amir of the hostile reception he will receive from the Barmy Army.

Then there’s going to be sledging at its worst from rival players especially once Amir regains his status as Pakistan’s chief wicket-taker. Back in October when Amir was "easing" his way back in cricket, he was called "chor" in a slinging match by discarded Test batsman Faisal Iqbal during a domestic game in Karachi. I don’t think it would take long for English or Australian players to learn that word and hurl it at Amir. Chor, by the way, is the Urdu word for thief.

There is also a possibility that hostility against Amir can again flare up within the Pakistani dressing room. Several players including ODI captain Azhar Ali and senior all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez openly opposed Amir’s return to the national line-up. There has since been a truce but knowing the volatile nature of our cricketers I won’t be surprised if Amir once again becomes persona non grata to some of his team-mates.

Odds are certainly stacked against the youngster. But there are some positives. He is stronger both physically and mentally than he was back in 2010. He was facing a few fitness problems back then but I’ve been told that the five-year ban has helped him fully recover. "Amir is much more fitter now than he was back in 2010," a source close to Amir told me a few weeks back.

Personally, I am convinced that Amir is going to be a more destructive bowler in England this summer than he was during that fateful tour of the country six years ago. He was 18 before the spot-fixing episode and is 23 now. He was very young then but is nearing his physical peak now.

So yes, he will be booed and he will be called a "chor" but with his wicket-taking prowess more often than not the last laugh will be Amir’s. He will have to believe that. And I know he does.