Mohammed Amir: I have moved on from Pakistan - for now, at least

mohammed amir: i have moved on from pakistan - for now, at least

Mohammad Amir trains for the Desert Vipers. ICC Academy, Sports City, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

It would be easy to assume age and experience have wearied Mohammed Amir.

The left-arm fast bowler turns 32 in April. He has been out of international cricket for over three years, seemingly disaffected with the system in his homeland.

He is now a fully paid-up member of the franchise cricket global grand tour, picking up gigs to play short-form cricket and on the county circuit.

But if he is wandering from one destination to the next with no real direction or motivation beyond his paycheck, you would not know it from his demeanor in Dubai at present.

Of the four Pakistani players recruited by Desert Vipers for the DP World International League T20, he is the only one with no aspirations to play international cricket again.

Two, Shaheen Afridi and Azam Khan, have now arrived from national duty in New Zealand. The third, Shadab Khan, is fit again after an ankle injury.

If any were to complain of jet lag or tiredness, you get the impression their senior compatriot would not stand for it.

Amir has been there and done most things cricket has to offer already – good and bad – and yet remains full of zest. He is like an Energizer bunny – or at least one that runs on biofuel, given the Vipers’ commitment to sustainability.

He seems to be loving everything about being with the Vipers. He is thrilled to be part of a bowling attack which could be made up entirely of left-armers like him.

With players like Alex Hales and Colin Munro, they are in with a chance of winning the title, he reckons. The coach, his former Essex teammate James Foster, is a “gem of a bloke,” he says.

Every day is a school day – “it is fun, a learning process, you learn every day.” And now he is going to get the chance to play alongside some of his compatriots, too.

His childlike glee when discussing his game – “I have been practicing my batting,” he says, with a broad grin – evokes happy memories of when he first turned up in this country and made himself a star.

Back then, over 14 years ago now, it was his batting that caught the attention first.

He captured the hearts of his nation with an extraordinary innings of 73 not out from No 10 in the batting order, and a share of a 103-run partnership for the 10th wicket with Saeed Ajmal. That nearly stole a one-day international against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.

Then, of course, there were the lost years. All of which makes his premature retirement from the international game seem all the more surprising. Surely he wants to eke out everything he can from his time in the game?

He says he is happy with where he is now, but the door is not entirely closed.

After three years out, I don’t think it would be a sensible decision for me to come back. For now, at least. I don’t know what will happen in the next few years

Mohammed Amir on returning to the Pakistan national team

“At the moment, I have moved on,” Amir said, speaking at the Vipers’ team hotel this week. “I have different things in my life to do.

“Three years is a long period out of the international system. If you look at the Pakistan system right now, it is changing every single month, so you never know what is coming.

“After three years out, I don’t think it would be a sensible decision for me to come back. For now, at least. I don’t know what will happen in the next few years.”

He is not the first cricketer to have made a “conditional” international retirement, then U-turn when the administration changed and became more palatable to them.

Many presumed that might be the case for Amir. There has been upheaval in the game in Pakistan in recent months. People have moved on, but Amir is still not for turning.

Mohammed Hafeez, the new Pakistan team director, said last month that he has spoken to Amir but his mind is made up, and he has different priorities in life now.

Clearly, there must be a little opening there, and Shadab for one wants to force it.

“It has been a long time, maybe four years since playing with Amir-bhai, so I’m very excited because we have a different bond with each other,” Shadab said.

“I definitely wanted to play with him. Hopefully I impress him and hopefully [he will] come back to the Pakistan team.”

Shadab has already impressed Amir. They have a strong affinity for each other, with Amir suggesting Shadab’s arrival “completes” the Vipers team.

“We have a great allrounder,” he said of his young colleague. “I always believe he is a batting allrounder, but he claims he is a bowling allrounder. Now we have a complete team.”

After not being released to play last year, Shadab says he is confident of making a success of his debut campaign in the ILT20.

“I think this is a tough competition,” Shadab said. “In any league, wherever you go, you have more local players than international ones.

“But in this league, you have nine international players, so it is like playing an international game. I think it is going to be very difficult.

“You are playing against the best of the world. In other leagues you are playing against three or four international players, max, and the local players don’t have much experience.

“They might be good, but they don’t have experience. If you are raw, maybe you can perform well, but still, experience matters.”

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Fantic Enters The Sporty Side Of Town With Stealth 125 And Imola Concept

Fantic Stealth 125 and Imola Concept The Italian manufacturer’s sporty offerings are designed to appeal to the beginner segment. The 125cc segment, pretty much non-existent in the US market, is ... Read more »

Discover the Health Benefits of Valencia Orange: Serving Sizes, Nutrition Facts, and Concerns Curated by Nutrition Professionals.

Valencia orange image Perspective from Roseane M Silva Master in Health Sciences, Bachelor in Nutrition · 7 years of experience · Brazil Possible Side Effects People who are allergic to ... Read more »

Kibsons at the heart of the better food systems debate bound for Cop28

Leading grocery delivery company Kibsons says it is already answering the call for greener production processes as food security and sourcing enter the Cop28 spotlight later this month. The UAE ... Read more »

Government passes draft budget law for FY2024

AMMAN — The government on Wednesday endorsed the draft general budget law for 2024 with estimated public revenues of JD10.3 billion, marking an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with ... Read more »

New forecasted capital expenditure for fiscal year 2024 stands at JD73 million — Gov’t

AMMAN — The new forecasted capital expenditure for the fiscal year 2024 stands at JD73.317 million, according to the 2024 public budget draft law. The government allocated JD1.729 billion as ... Read more »

Historical insights: Evolution of archaeological research in Jordan from post-World War I to 1960s

AMMAN — The post World War I period marks the beginning of scholarly research in Jordan. During the British Mandate in Jordan, the Department of Antiquities in Amman was founded ... Read more »

No fruit acids, whitening creams: UAE authority issues guidelines for salon cosmetics

The Sharjah City Municipality has issued a set of guidelines for the use of cosmetic products in hair salons and beauty centres. The authority urges salons to stick to these ... Read more »
Top List in the World