5 reasons why Mohammad Amir's Test return is good news for cricket
Mohammad Amir is set to return to the land where his cricket career came crashing down 6 years ago. The left armer’s meteoric rise was arrested when he, along with his captain Salman Butt and bowling partner Mohammad Asif, were convicted of spot fixing in the Test matches against England. The cricketing community was shocked when it came to light that the bowlers had underperformed under the instructions of their captain for cash and gifts.
The trial that ensued thereafter concluded by handing Amir a five-year ban, Asif a seven-year ban and Butt a ten-year ban from all forms of cricket. While Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif faded away from the cricketing scene, Amir did not.
The bowler made all the right moves after his blunder and most importantly, distanced himself from his two partners in crime and then apologized for his actions to the cricketing community. He didn’t give up on his dream of representing Pakistan again and made a dramatic comeback to competitive cricket last year, showing that at 24 he still hasn’t lost anything of what made him the sensation six years ago.
Here are 5 reasons why we will be delighted to see Amir back in action in England
1. Carrying forward Pakistan’s fast bowling legacy
Beginning with Fazal Mahmood, Pakistan has unearthed some of the best names that have ever bowled fast with the ball in cricket. Sarfraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younus – there are several names who have carried the torch high for Pakistan fast bowling.
However, the past decade has raised concerns and doubts whether Pakistan still has the ability to produce world class fast bowlers; after the retirement of Shoaib Akhtar, they have tried a number of bowlers without much success. The Asif-Amir duo raised hopes of a Waqar-Wasim style pairing, but then the spot fixing saga not only separated the two but also forced them away from cricket.
That is why Amir’s comeback assumes importance. To say that Amir is an exceptional talent would be stating the obvious. However, what makes Amir stand out from the current crop of Pakistani bowlers is that he has time and again translated his talent into performance. Despite his tainted past, Amir is Pakistan’s hope to carry forward the legacy of the past greats.