Mohammad Amir has begged for forgiveness as he begins what he hopes is his journey back to international cricket with Pakistan.

The fast bowler, now 23, burst on to the world scene as a teenager and starred on his country's 2010 tour of England - until he put his career in jeopardy by bowling deliberate no-balls in the Lord's Test as part of a spot-fixing plot.

Amir, fellow paceman Mohammad Asif and captain Salman Butt served five-year bans for their part in the deception and also spent time in jail, as did their agent Mazhar Majeed, after they were exposed by a News of the World undercover investigation.

All three players are eligible, as of Wednesday, to return to international cricket and have begun a reintegration process with the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Amir, who unlike his team-mates pleaded guilty to the charges ahead of the 2011 trial at Southwark Crown Court, has been playing domestic cricket for Rawalpindi having been granted an early return in January by the International Cricket Council, after he participated in educational programmes and showed remorse for his actions.

He continued to do so as he told the Daily Mail: "I just want to say sorry to everybody who has supported me throughout the last five years and to those who were disappointed in me, but above all I want to apologise to my nation.

"I let everybody down but I will return with honesty and dignity. I want to make it up to them by representing Pakistan again. It will not be easy and I'm not expecting it to be but I am confident I can become the bowler I was.

"The last five years have been a huge loss and of course a huge source of regret. My life was torn apart but I know it was my fault."

Amir is highly unlikely to be involved when England face Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October, with the PCB's reintegration plan specifying "sessions with bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed and team Pakistan members to foster acceptability for probable future congenial environment in the dressing room" which will run until the end of February.

It has been reported that he could be part of a Pakistan A team for a warm-up match, though, while he says he has the support of the players he has spoken to - "they have all been like family members", he claimed.

Having only played four Twenty20 games since his return to domestic action, taking five wickets, he accepts international cricket is still a long way off.

He added: "I need to thank the ICC because they have been very fair with me. They allowed me to start playing again in January and that gave me the boost to think that I really could return to the game and reach the highest level again.

"I can't focus on international cricket. I need to play for Rawalpindi and I need to play first-class cricket. If and when I come back will totally depend on the selectors and the PCB.

"I just have to bowl as well as I can and prove to people that I am good enough and deserve a second chance. I want to be loved by the fans again."