Karachi: Mohammed Aamir's international return has triggered many a debate in Pakistan cricket and beyond, but T20 skipper Shahid Afridi Friday welcomed him with open arms, saying he is "happy" with the young pacer's comeback to the squad.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) included Aamir in the ODI and T20 squads for the away series against New Zealand, giving him a lifeline to make amends for his spot-fixing act in 2010.

"Happy to have Aamir back in team," Afridi wrote on his twitter handle. "He told me truth first time I asked him in England. He admitted his mistake, we should back him now."

Aamir's return has been a subject of debate with teammates Mohammed Hafeez and ODI captain Azhar Ali even threatening to leave the team if the tainted pacer was selected. Though PCB chief Shaharyar Khan intervened in the matter and reasoned with players, the opinions still seem to be divided in the Pakistan camp.

Afridi, however, said he respected Azhar and Hafeez's stance. "We suffered a lot due to the spot-fixing scandal and our image was tarnished everywhere," he tweeted.

But the swashbuckling all-rounder opined that moving forward is the way to go.

"We now need to move on and I will back Aamir and expect him to serve Pakistan cricket with total dedication and commitment," Afridi added.

Misbah-ul Haq, too, has welcomed Aamir back. "I recently watched Mohammad Aamir in the Bangladesh Premier League. I think he is the same bowler he was five years ago. He is quite fit and the pace and swing he has is the same as when he left. I couldn't see a difference between the Aamir of then and the Aamir of now," Misbah was quoted as saying by a website.

"Some players had reservations against his comeback, but I think the Board has done the right thing by engaging players and Aamir in conversation. We need to remember that the regulatory bodies have allowed him to come back. We players shouldn't even comment on it and need to respect the decision of the ICC and the PCB," he added.