“Workload is not the reason why Mohammad Amir left Test cricket" : Waqar Younis

[MenInG]

Waqar Younis speaking to media:

“Workload is not the reason why Mohammad Amir has been dropped or why he has decided to not play Test cricket because he's still playing different leagues"


So What is Waqar implying here?

Here is Amir's reply to that:

[Thunderbolt14]

I was watching the presser, Waqar seemed to have genuinely no idea what the journalist was talking about. It was more along the lines of “Workload? Is that the reason? Isn’t he playing in Sri Lanka right now?”

I believe there has been gross miscommunication between Amir and the present management, and they have no idea about his own reasons. From their perspective, he’s not bowling as well as he used to.

Amir mentioned a few days ago in an interview that he’s still waiting for the PCB to call him, and he’s hurt Misbah hasn’t done so since he was dropped. Is that the right attitude to have? If there’s a misconception that Amir thinks the management have of him, why is he not trying to clear it up? I believe at this stage Amir’s too far into the deep end, after retweeting and sharing a lot of disrespectful comments towards the management - that’s not the right attitude.

[Savak]

Sarkar Waqar Younis? A spot fixing over rated trundler calling a legend Sarkar, pathetic

[NauV]

As a huge fan of Amir and a massive proponent of his comeback and sticking with him while he finds his way back, he has let me and many many others down hugely! and he goes around looking for sympathy . . he has been looking for sympathy since his return . . it just took me a while to realize this . .

When he's got the appreciation from the likes of Kohli and Smith, then how else do you justify his record since his comeback? How do you justify his lackluster performances in general outside a couple of flashes in the pan showing us "what could have been" . . When he has that level of talent and skill to be respected by the very best, there was only one other thing that was needed for him to succeed . . and unfortunately, its now clear he failed to do that one thing i.e. put his head down and work hard and fix his issues!

See, the problem is . . Amir has made excuses after excuses since his come back! even when he says something thats perhaps genuine (like issues with Pakistan's rotation policy), its just difficult to take him seriously . .

A few examples:

1. Amir has lost so much pace . . Why is Amir bowling military medium now? He wasn't when he left in 2010 . . and he wasn't when he came back in 2016 . . his pace has progressively dropped and now he is bowling 130 kph . .

Amir in 2016: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . cut me some slack
Amir in 2017: i have been out of cricket for 5 years . . cut me some slack
Amir in 2018/19/20: repeat cycle . .

2. Amir has lost his ability to swing the ball which made him so dangerous . . the "flash in the pan" performances come back when he somehow rediscovers that shape . . the shape that Trent boult was envious of early in his career . . I am no expert but those who are such as the likes of Akram clearly pointed out technical flaws . . There has been no improvement . . in fact, I dont even know where he has gone, what expert advice he has sought, where has he put in the effort to work on those technical issues . . if you know, please enlighten me . . and Amir's responses?

Amir in 2017: I was out of cricket for 5 years, cut me some slack . .
Amir in 2018/19/20: repeat cycle . .

3. Amir is clearly not fit enough . . that seems to hamper him giving his 100% . . perhaps thats why he isnt able to put effort . . maybe his "back" isn't going through in his delivery stride . . Amir himself alluding to fitness issues . . Amir is playing too much cricket . . Amir is playing T20, ODI and Tests (without being exceptional in any format to be honest) . .

Amir in 2016: I have been out of cricket for 5 years, cut me some slack . . body will take time . .
Amir in 2017: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . my body isn't the same anymore
Amir in 2018/19/20: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . repeat cycle

I won't continue because you get the gist . . the same happened with the will he/won't he retire from test cricket . . again due to fitness, and out of cricket for 5 years, I am playing so much, expectations are so high, etc. its like he's in a different era/career than starc, cummins, rabada, boult, bhumrah, archer, shami, et al.

The fact is . . there is no evidence of Amir going the extra mile to warrant special treatment for him! the fact is, that for all his talent . . it is clear that either his heart wasn't in cricket anymore or he just didn't want to work hard . . either way, it hurt the team . .

Amir unfortunately has come across as someone who has wanted to take the easy way out at every opportunity . . and I repeat . . as a massive fan of his bowling and talent, I am bitterly disappointed in him . . And I don't give a ____ if he wants to play test cricket or not . . obviously, I would have liked him to, but that's not even the point . . the fact is, the guy just never seem to really put in the hard yards and internalize the work ethic required to succeed as an elite player . .

The result is in front of us . .

Therefore, I have absolutely zero sympathy for Amir . .

My only problem is - my entire rant falls flat when I see folks like Musa getting selected ahead of Amir, because I could have huge issues with Amir . . but Musa will never be good enough to warrant a space in the squad ahead of Amir . . (actually, in my opinion Musa will never be good enough to be anywhere near the Pakistan squad, but that's another story)

[Mamoon]

As I said, Misbah has a grudge against Amir because of his retirement from Test cricket.

As long as Misbah and Waqar are in the management, he will not get selected unless he gets on his knees and begs forgiveness.

[Mamoon]

Judging by his comments, Amir is in no need to act nice and get in the good books of Misbah and Waqar.

Fair enough.

[Savak]

As I said, Misbah has a grudge against Amir because of his retirement from Test cricket.

As long as Misbah and Waqar are in the management, he will not get selected unless he gets on his knees and begs forgiveness.

Maybe he should get on his knees and beg forgiveness if indeed playing for Pakistan means so much to him, but it doesn't

[watson367]

Amir will prob not represent Pakistan for at least 2 years. His badtameezi is only making his case worse.

[TeymurBlake]

I don't see Amir returning to the side anytime soon, he pace dropping is a big component in that.

[YousafTheBeast]

Amir (who I believe has a UK Spouse Visa) has a higher chance of playing in the IPL next year than he does playing for Pakistan, unless Misbah is removed or Shoaib Akhtar becomes the CS.

[Mamoon]

Maybe he should get on his knees and beg forgiveness if indeed playing for Pakistan means so much to him, but it doesn't

He doesn’t have to beg anyone. He hasn’t committed a crime.

[MenInG]

Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis on Sunday termed the ouster of top batsman and captain, Babar Azam, from the upcoming T20 series in New Zealand a big blow to the touring side.

Waqar admitted that Babar’s absence will have an impact on Pakistan’s chances of winning the three-match series.

“There is no doubt that Babar is one of the best players in the world now in any format. So it is a major setback for us. Other teams are scared of him,” Waqar said from New Zealand during a media interaction with Pakistani journalists.

“It is unfortunate that it (injury) happened at the wrong time, just at the stroke of the the series starting.”

Azam sustained the injury on his right thumb at Queenstown during Pakistan team’s practice session.

Waqar, however, insisted that such things were part and parcel of the sport and it is now an opportunity for others to step up and make use of the opportunities.

Waqar said that with Babar not available, the management will have to shuffle the batting order and revisit the combinations.

He also admitted that the players are slowly getting back to normal cricket after their long quarantine period in Christchurch.

He said the quarantine had hampered the team’s preparations.

“I know the circumstances are not normal for us due to Covid-19 and teams are facing problems on tours. But we all have got to deal with this and it is our job to get the best out of players,” he said.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/crick...le33320850.ece

[BunnyRabbit]

Amir is a crybaby, is always looking to taking the easy route.
Last time he played, he injured himself after bowling 2 overs.

[gibsyhesperis]

He doesn’t have to beg anyone. He hasn’t committed a crime.

Do you think he warrants a place in ththe side based on recent form or performances ?

[Mamoon]

Do you think he warrants a place in ththe side based on recent form or performances ?

If you are picking an awful bowler like Musa or that street bowler Rauf, it is hard to justify Amir’s exclusion.

[FreePalestine]

As I said, Misbah has a grudge against Amir because of his retirement from Test cricket.

As long as Misbah and Waqar are in the management, he will not get selected unless he gets on his knees and begs forgiveness.

100% agree with you on this.

[FreePalestine]

Maybe he should get on his knees and beg forgiveness if indeed playing for Pakistan means so much to him, but it doesn't

Isn’t it the job of coaches and the administration to back their players and assets? Why waste him like this out of ego? It is so ridiculously unprofessional of Waqar and Misbah.

[DarkKnight123]

I was watching the presser, Waqar seemed to have genuinely no idea what the journalist was talking about. It was more along the lines of “Workload? Is that the reason? Isn’t he playing in Sri Lanka right now?”

I believe there has been gross miscommunication between Amir and the present management, and they have no idea about his own reasons. From their perspective, he’s not bowling as well as he used to.

Amir mentioned a few days ago in an interview that he’s still waiting for the PCB to call him, and he’s hurt Misbah hasn’t done so since he was dropped. Is that the right attitude to have? If there’s a misconception that Amir thinks the management have of him, why is he not trying to clear it up? I believe at this stage Amir’s too far into the deep end, after retweeting and sharing a lot of disrespectful comments towards the management - that’s not the right attitude.

This is the problem with both Amir and the management. The management has stated this already that they believe he didn't want to play Test cricket no more. So why does Waqar have to state this again and again. But if you look at a different way, its actually a message that the management and in particular Waqar is sending to the upcoming Pak players and current players that "if you dont play the most important format and don't make yourself available for your country then you will get criticized and wiill not get selected and play when you feel like playing, as there are many players like Shaheen and Naseem who are not going after money and are working three times more than you and are representing Pak, they will get priority first and will get a higher central contract.

In Amir's case, he knew that he would get backlash for the decision he made and it has been over a year already, but for some reason he always has to comment and tweet disrespectful comments. He is a cricketer and they are his coaches, there will be ups and downs and miscommunications, however you have to be a professional and talk to them professionally and solve the issues you have with them.

I don't understand with Amir's mindset and many others, they say all these stupid/disrespectful comments towards the management or PCB , but then they get upset going forward that they didn't get selected. Like behavior is part of selection as well. Look at the selection policies around the world. They drop players in two seconds, if they don't behave or violated some laws of the sport.

[Saj]

Surely playing in some T20 leagues does not equate to playing Test cricket.

Call the decision selfish or sensible - but the fact is that Amir will not be bowling anywhere near the amount of overs now that he has retired from Tests.

[ask_analyse_act]

If you are picking an awful bowler like Musa or that street bowler Rauf, it is hard to justify Amir’s exclusion.

They are fit enough to be selected, yes skill set they are not upto Amir level but what can they do with Amir if he bowls 2 overs and can’t play the remaining overs + his form is very bad, not in rhythm gives away too many runs.. I would play any fit bowler in his place rather than for his skills on paper.

If he serious about playing intl cricket then go back to domestic perform, prove the fitness and then come back ebeough of his complaints of not managing workloads. It’s been more than a year now since he retired from tests.

[Saj]

The other reason why Amir has stopped playing Test cricket is so that he doesn't have to play QeA Trophy matches.

Again some would say this is sensible, others will say it's selfish.

[Mamoon]

They are fit enough to be selected, yes skill set they are not upto Amir level but what can they do with Amir if he bowls 2 overs and can’t play the remaining overs + his form is very bad, not in rhythm gives away too many runs.. I would play any fit bowler in his place rather than for his skills on paper.

If he serious about playing intl cricket then go back to domestic perform, prove the fitness and then come back ebeough of his complaints of not managing workloads. It’s been more than a year now since he retired from tests.

This fitness issue is overblown. He is still fit enough for ODIs and T20Is. Misbah simply doesn’t want to select him.

[aloo paratha]

Amir is simply not needed anymore. it's good he retired, allowing his fanbois to realize he was never that good to begin with. He can be a T20 mercenary and make some quick cash, because he wasn't gonna last much longer at the international level anyways.

[Savak]

Surely playing in some T20 leagues does not equate to playing Test cricket.

Call the decision selfish or sensible - but the fact is that Amir will not be bowling anywhere near the amount of overs now that he has retired from Tests.

Well then he has to show some return to World Class form. Getting cheap wickets with batsmen slogging in the death overs and not getting world class wickets up front, not swinging the ball at 140-145 km/hr plus and instead bowling cutters at 127-132 km/hr is not going to invite confidence

[Savak]

If you are desperately concerned about winning your place in the side, the last thing you would do is to public-ally criticize your coaches and blatantly disrespect them. I am surprised the PCB has not taken disciplinary action against Amir for his numerous transgressions.

[Pacy with wisdom]

Well then he has to show some return to World Class form. Getting cheap wickets with batsmen slogging in the death overs and not getting world class wickets up front, not swinging the ball at 140-145 km/hr plus and instead bowling cutters at 127-132 km/hr is not going to invite confidence

Tbf, he has looked better in the last few matches; the swing has returned up front and the pace has improved by 5,6 kph.
It is still no way near what it can and should be, but he is definitely trying to make a point.
I am not sure this is the way to do it though.

[Indiafan]

Isn’t it the job of coaches and the administration to back their players and assets? Why waste him like this out of ego? It is so ridiculously unprofessional of Waqar and Misbah.

What makes you think it is ego? Any coach who sees a player not even trying or giving bare minimum will never support them

[Indiafan]

Surely playing in some T20 leagues does not equate to playing Test cricket.

Call the decision selfish or sensible - but the fact is that Amir will not be bowling anywhere near the amount of overs now that he has retired from Tests.

But then the case for his selection is based on performance in those same leagues and not domestic performances. How will you ***** fitness for international cricket, particularly ODIs, based on these t20 leagues?

[YousafTheBeast]

Amir is simply not needed anymore. it's good he retired, allowing his fanbois to realize he was never that good to begin with. He can be a T20 mercenary and make some quick cash, because he wasn't gonna last much longer at the international level anyways.

Lol, and who replaces him? Musa? Husnain? Rauf? Give these 3 a couple of more games and you’ll all be saying Amir is the best we’ve got.

Wahab will be finished in a year or so, Hassan Ali has injury issues, Rumman Raees has disappeared, it’s only a matter of time that Shaheen picks up an injury with the way he’s being managed.

Mohammad Amir can make twice as much money in the IPL than playing for PAK. Facts are we have names but none of those have the skills that will be a threat to the top teams.

Playing against weak teams has given our fans false hope in these T20 merchants.

[Colorblind Genius]

If you are desperately concerned about winning your place in the side, the last thing you would do is to public-ally criticize your coaches and blatantly disrespect them. I am surprised the PCB has not taken disciplinary action against Amir for his numerous transgressions.

Frankly speaking, quite stupid of Waqar to issue such statements to begin with while he is still part of the team management.

He is taking low level idiotic shots at a player who could be potentially part of the team in the future, and Waqar will have to work with him.

If you blame someone as a "liar" on public forums and social media, then they will probability retaliate. And that's what Amir did, but obviously he wasn't too articulate either.

But then again, both Waqar and Amir are basically unparh jahil type celebrities who are speaking a language for each other that they both fully understand.
And I guess this is the only way they know to communicate.

[Hyperion66]

Sarkar Waqar Younis? A spot fixing over rated trundler calling a legend Sarkar, pathetic

Thank you for putting it the way you see it. Amir indeed thinks too highly of himself. The way he has been pampered since his comeback with little return is plain ridiculous. That time, energy and money should have been invested on young bowlers.

[Cric_lover4487]

This fitness issue is overblown. He is still fit enough for ODIs and T20Is. Misbah simply doesn’t want to select him.

Trust me, he will be back in squad for T20WC just like WC19. Public/media pressure will get him back in the team and Amir knows this fact. So, he will collect his paycheck playing leagues and show up to play WC. AB Devilliers wanted to follow the same model but SA closed the gates on him. I am looking forward to see if Misbah would give in to the media pressure.

[RedwoodOriginal]

Seriously, Misbah and Waqar need to get over this. They don't have the best interests of the team at heart when they select guys like Musa, who quite clearly are not ready for international cricket and drop Amir, who is a very good limited-overs bowler.

At the same time though, Amir should grow up and stop telling his buddies in the media to tag him in tweets under which he can make sarcastic comments. They feel pathetic, and sad for an international cricketer.

[aloo paratha]

Lol, and who replaces him? Musa? Husnain? Rauf? Give these 3 a couple of more games and you’ll all be saying Amir is the best we’ve got.

Wahab will be finished in a year or so, Hassan Ali has injury issues, Rumman Raees has disappeared, it’s only a matter of time that Shaheen picks up an injury with the way he’s being managed.

Mohammad Amir can make twice as much money in the IPL than playing for PAK. Facts are we have names but none of those have the skills that will be a threat to the top teams.

Playing against weak teams has given our fans false hope in these T20 merchants.

Sameen Gul and Naseem Shah are good prospects for tests. Hasnain and Rauf are good prospects for LOIs. Amir bowling straight 130 kph rockets will never succeed. Maybe only in England.

Even Musa isn't a worse option. Both him and Amir would receive a beating against any decent opposition but at least Musa has potential. Amir is supposed to be in his prime.

[Saj]

But then the case for his selection is based on performance in those same leagues and not domestic performances. How will you ***** fitness for international cricket, particularly ODIs, based on these t20 leagues?

It's all about what the selectors make of his performances in tournaments such as LPL, which to be fair isn't a league blessed with batting talent.

[YousafTheBeast]

Sameen Gul and Naseem Shah are good prospects for tests. Hasnain and Rauf are good prospects for LOIs. Amir bowling straight 130 kph rockets will never succeed. Maybe only in England.

Even Musa isn't a worse option. Both him and Amir would receive a beating against any decent opposition but at least Musa has potential. Amir is supposed to be in his prime.

It’s only been a year since the WC, where Amir was the leading wicket taker for our team. And, if you think the likes of Musa, Husnain and Sameen can take 17+ wickets in a WC then I really have nothing else to say.

[UzmanBeast]

As a huge fan of Amir and a massive proponent of his comeback and sticking with him while he finds his way back, he has let me and many many others down hugely! and he goes around looking for sympathy . . he has been looking for sympathy since his return . . it just took me a while to realize this . .

When he's got the appreciation from the likes of Kohli and Smith, then how else do you justify his record since his comeback? How do you justify his lackluster performances in general outside a couple of flashes in the pan showing us "what could have been" . . When he has that level of talent and skill to be respected by the very best, there was only one other thing that was needed for him to succeed . . and unfortunately, its now clear he failed to do that one thing i.e. put his head down and work hard and fix his issues!

See, the problem is . . Amir has made excuses after excuses since his come back! even when he says something thats perhaps genuine (like issues with Pakistan's rotation policy), its just difficult to take him seriously . .

A few examples:

1. Amir has lost so much pace . . Why is Amir bowling military medium now? He wasn't when he left in 2010 . . and he wasn't when he came back in 2016 . . his pace has progressively dropped and now he is bowling 130 kph . .

Amir in 2016: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . cut me some slack
Amir in 2017: i have been out of cricket for 5 years . . cut me some slack
Amir in 2018/19/20: repeat cycle . .

2. Amir has lost his ability to swing the ball which made him so dangerous . . the "flash in the pan" performances come back when he somehow rediscovers that shape . . the shape that Trent boult was envious of early in his career . . I am no expert but those who are such as the likes of Akram clearly pointed out technical flaws . . There has been no improvement . . in fact, I dont even know where he has gone, what expert advice he has sought, where has he put in the effort to work on those technical issues . . if you know, please enlighten me . . and Amir's responses?

Amir in 2017: I was out of cricket for 5 years, cut me some slack . .
Amir in 2018/19/20: repeat cycle . .

3. Amir is clearly not fit enough . . that seems to hamper him giving his 100% . . perhaps thats why he isnt able to put effort . . maybe his "back" isn't going through in his delivery stride . . Amir himself alluding to fitness issues . . Amir is playing too much cricket . . Amir is playing T20, ODI and Tests (without being exceptional in any format to be honest) . .

Amir in 2016: I have been out of cricket for 5 years, cut me some slack . . body will take time . .
Amir in 2017: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . my body isn't the same anymore
Amir in 2018/19/20: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . repeat cycle

I won't continue because you get the gist . . the same happened with the will he/won't he retire from test cricket . . again due to fitness, and out of cricket for 5 years, I am playing so much, expectations are so high, etc. its like he's in a different era/career than starc, cummins, rabada, boult, bhumrah, archer, shami, et al.

The fact is . . there is no evidence of Amir going the extra mile to warrant special treatment for him! the fact is, that for all his talent . . it is clear that either his heart wasn't in cricket anymore or he just didn't want to work hard . . either way, it hurt the team . .

Amir unfortunately has come across as someone who has wanted to take the easy way out at every opportunity . . and I repeat . . as a massive fan of his bowling and talent, I am bitterly disappointed in him . . And I don't give a ____ if he wants to play test cricket or not . . obviously, I would have liked him to, but that's not even the point . . the fact is, the guy just never seem to really put in the hard yards and internalize the work ethic required to succeed as an elite player . .

The result is in front of us . .

Therefore, I have absolutely zero sympathy for Amir . .

My only problem is - my entire rant falls flat when I see folks like Musa getting selected ahead of Amir, because I could have huge issues with Amir . . but Musa will never be good enough to warrant a space in the squad ahead of Amir . . (actually, in my opinion Musa will never be good enough to be anywhere near the Pakistan squad, but that's another story)

I pointed this out on a previous thread, how Amir has been playing in all these random T20 Leagues and still complaining about his workload and whatnot in these interviews he has.

First of all, who in their right mind can call Waqar Younis, arguably one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game, "sarkar". Is he in his right mind? Amir is utterly pathetic and a comparison with Waqar Younis is like comparing a broken stick to a sharpened samurai sword. How does he dare to bring such an attitude towards our legends and greats of the game.

How does he have tha audacity to claim workload issues and retire from a format without any information being given to the PCB? How does he claim that his workload prevents him from doing well when he is clearly unfit and cannot bowl above 140kph?

This workload claim is a joke, an injured man would have the common sense to rest, so if a person has a high workload, the obvious and practical decision would be to take some rest, not retire from a format and play random T20 leagues around the world.

I respect Amir for what he has done for Pakistan cricket, but moving forward, this attitude and this excuse will be the reason that he won't play for Pakistan again.

Should have stuck with Junaid Khan and Shinwari instead of Mohammad Amir.

It truly is sad to see one of the nations brightest hopes become some medium pace T20 mercenary with no respect for the people and board that helped him back on his feet after his own carelessness and pathetic mistake.

[UzmanBeast]

It’s only been a year since the WC, where Amir was the leading wicket taker for our team. And, if you think the likes of Musa, Husnain and Sameen can take 17+ wickets in a WC then I really have nothing else to say.

The likes of Musa, Husnain, Shinwari, Naseem, Sameen are much more likely to be all-format players who take pride in playing for their country, not for some random T20 leagues. I'd rather have that than have someone complaining about workload and playing the most random leagues in the world.

[UzmanBeast]

It's all about what the selectors make of his performances in tournaments such as LPL, which to be fair isn't a league blessed with batting talent.

The LPL is a joke when it comes to batting talent, and take that 5 wicket haul out, and Amir is riding on more matches played than wickets taken in a league where the batting standard is very low.

Most of his wickets are by chance showing no real indication of any of his past predominant skills with the ball. I'd rather invest in a youngster than bring him back into the team at this stage and with this pace.

[FreePalestine]

What makes you think it is ego? Any coach who sees a player not even trying or giving bare minimum will never support them

I don’t buy this minimum effort thing. Stats talk, and his stats in intl cricket are good. He is bowling pretty well in the leagues as well. Just had a poor domestic T20 tournament after he was publicly chastised for quite a while for his decision to quit test cricket. I think Amir had been talking to MA about hs plans for a few years before. It seems really, at the bottom, very poor communication between this coaching team and the player. Considering how good it was before with MA, I don’t think it is a fundamental problem with the player’s attitude. These guys are clearly mismanaging him.

If they have a policy not to pick players who don’t make themselves available for all formats, then they should state this stupid policy publicly. Otherwise, WY and Misbah have always been elliptical about why Amir is not in the squad. Best we got was ‘we want to pick players who are available for all formats’ while picking Wahab Riaz in the squad.. Anyway, I want more clarity on this PCB policy, if it exists. Otherwise, on merit, Amir deserves to be in the squad.

[GoUgandaCranes]

Amir's tires are getting pumped up by a third-rate so-called sports journalist and the results are showing. He is snapping at the wrong people instead of any inward introspection and also building useless grudges at the same time.

The fact of the matter is that he may still have the elite sportsman mentality, but his physique is nowhere near there and it hasn't shown any signs of improvement. That's what he should have work on now, physical strength and conditioning, and should even hire a sports trainer in the UK and train there for a few months.

His priority is leagues and easy money and while there's nothing wrong with it, his holier than though and victim mentality must stop here, and that too instantly. When he burst at the scene, not only he had enormous bowling potential but he also possessed an ability to bat but all of that is diminishing at a very fast rate. He's even being outbowled and outbatted in the lalloo panjoo league (LPL) by total nobodies yet he's still an automatic pick in his head.

Also, Amir, please reevaluate the people who are in your good books and evolve to be a better version of you instead of what you are becoming.

[lahoriyah1234]

HOW COME BOTH IMAM AND BABAR GOT INJURED AT THE SAME TIME AND SIMILAR INJURIES? This raises some eyebrows. Plus what sort of throwball practice was that, that he injured himself.

The way i look at it, it will expose Misbah and its management on how their back up strength has been collected and selected by him and they will perform without their Best Batsmen.

This tour is looking like an end of tunnel for Misbah tenure.

[Snowflake]

Despite of all of Amir's faults, Waqar really needs to shut up about this issue and not give out such confrontational statements.

Waqar needs to understand that he's part of the Pak management and not just an ex cricketer. Amir can very well still play for Pak in the future and for a coach to give out these statements for such a player is highly unprofessional.

Why can't he just ignore these questions or direct them towards the selectors?

Waqar truly is an incompetent individual who still hasn't understood the do's and don'ts of a professional role.

[lahoriyah1234]

Despite of all of Amir's faults, Waqar really needs to shut up about this issue and not give out such confrontational statements.

Waqar needs to understand that he's part of the Pak management and not just an ex cricketer. Amir can very well still play for Pak in the future and for a coach to give out these statements for such a player is highly unprofessional.

Why can't he just ignore these questions or direct them towards the selectors?

Waqar truly is an incompetent individual who still hasn't understood the do's and don'ts of a professional role.

He thinks he is a good bowling coach, ok he was a grt fast bowler, but i still believe he is not coaching material.

If Wasim Akram was a bowling coach, he would have definitely made some quality bowlers for us.

Waqar came back through sifarish. He happens to be a close friend with ehsan mani.

[Junaids]

As a huge fan of Amir and a massive proponent of his comeback and sticking with him while he finds his way back, he has let me and many many others down hugely! and he goes around looking for sympathy . . he has been looking for sympathy since his return . . it just took me a while to realize this . .

A few examples:

1. Amir has lost so much pace . . Why is Amir bowling military medium now? He wasn't when he left in 2010 . . and he wasn't when he came back in 2016 . . his pace has progressively dropped and now he is bowling 130 kph . .

Amir in 2016: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . cut me some slack
Amir in 2017: i have been out of cricket for 5 years . . cut me some slack
Amir in 2018/19/20: repeat cycle . .

2. Amir has lost his ability to swing the ball which made him so dangerous . .

Amir in 2017: I was out of cricket for 5 years, cut me some slack . .
Amir in 2018/19/20: repeat cycle . .

3. Amir is clearly not fit enough . . . .

Amir in 2016: I have been out of cricket for 5 years, cut me some slack . . body will take time . .
Amir in 2017: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . my body isn't the same anymore
Amir in 2018/19/20: I have been out of cricket for 5 years . . repeat cycle

Therefore, I have absolutely zero sympathy for Amir . .

My only problem is - my entire rant falls flat when I see folks like Musa getting selected ahead of Amir, because I could have huge issues with Amir . . but Musa will never be good enough to warrant a space in the squad ahead of Amir . . (actually, in my opinion Musa will never be good enough to be anywhere near the Pakistan squad, but that's another story)

That's a good post, but you are missing the Elephant in the Room.

Mohammad Amir was not a 17 year old when he made his Test debut in 2009, and he is not a 28 year old now.

Like Waqar Younis he is an age cheat. Waqar would have us believe that he made his Test debut himself aged 18, lost his pace at the age of 25 and had a bowling average the wrong side of 30 from the age of 28!

As soon as you understand that Mohammad Amir was probably born in 1988 and not 1992, everything makes sense.

He was not an 18 year old kid when he was banned and a 23 year old youngster when he returned.

He was almost certainly 22 when he was banned, and when he came back aged 27 he had the highest workload in world cricket for the first 2 years, which is why he lost his pace.

At the 2019 Word Cup Mohammad Amir was exceptional. But he was probably 31, not 27. And he was exceptional because he had had his private deal with Inzamam and Mickey Arthur, which went something like this:

"All 3 of us recognize that Mohammad Amir is in the later stages of his career, and is a swing bowler of fast-medium pace and short stature. He is not going to get red ball wickets in Asia, and we are flogging a dead horse if we waste what he has left in the tank on trying to get him to bowl there.

In future, we agree that Amir will be a white ball specialist, who will be available for Tests in England, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand only. This should enable him to retain his remaining pace and fitness for the maximum possible time".

And it worked. In his final 3 Test series Mohammad Amir averaged 21.00 with the ball.

The whole reason for the deal between Amir, Inzamam and Arthur was that Misbah had overbowled him in the first 12 months of his Test return, and Amir had ended up with chronic injuries and reduced pace.

But when Misbah was lined up to take over BOTH the Inzamam AND the Arthur positions, Amir realized that the end was night.

I don't like that Amir spot-fixed. And I don't like that his age cheating got him out of going to adult prison.

But I think he has been horribly treated since 2016, horrible as in "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs".

[NoBallZombie]

This sense of entitlement from Amir is cringeworthy. Just because he was pampered by the PCB and the fans and was given preferential treatment does not mean that he has to lose being respectful. I am no fan of Misbah or Waqar but they have made a name for themselves as cricketers and as senior men, they have to be respected. You can agree to disagree with them -- and there is a way to do that instead of tweeting nonsense about a legend-- they still have to be respected for their achievements.

Amir is waiting for a call from Misbah, whereas he did not think he needed to discuss (or call) either Misbhah or Waqar when he was making his decision.

Amir may have the skills that are far superior to our current pace attack. Apart from Shaheen, I would probably prefer Amir over any other pacer in the current setup but its his attitude that kills it from me. I want people who wear the star to be passionate about their jobs, they have to give 100% and when as a fan, we see Amir trundling and chucking pies just to preserve his economy, that makes you wonder whether he has got the best of pakistan cricket in his heart. On the other hand, you see these youngsters with far inferior skills, bowling their hearts out. Even a 37+ Wahab gives it his all and you cannot doubt him for that.

[aloo paratha]

It’s only been a year since the WC, where Amir was the leading wicket taker for our team. And, if you think the likes of Musa, Husnain and Sameen can take 17+ wickets in a WC then I really have nothing else to say.

Shaheen was much better than Amir in that World Cup. had he gotten to play all the games he would've done much better than Amir. Amir had a mini purple patch at the start of the tournament, by the end he was back to his pathetic normal.

And that's the point of investing in youngsters rather than TTFs like Amir. They will not be able to deliver now, but with backing and hard work they can in the future.

[NoBallZombie]

That's a good post, but you are missing the Elephant in the Room.

Mohammad Amir was not a 17 year old when he made his Test debut in 2009, and he is not a 28 year old now.

Like Waqar Younis he is an age cheat. Waqar would have us believe that he made his Test debut himself aged 18, lost his pace at the age of 25 and had a bowling average the wrong side of 30 from the age of 28!

As soon as you understand that Mohammad Amir was probably born in 1988 and not 1992, everything makes sense.

He was not an 18 year old kid when he was banned and a 23 year old youngster when he returned.

He was almost certainly 22 when he was banned, and when he came back aged 27 he had the highest workload in world cricket for the first 2 years, which is why he lost his pace.

At the 2019 Word Cup Mohammad Amir was exceptional. But he was probably 31, not 27. And he was exceptional because he had had his private deal with Inzamam and Mickey Arthur, which went something like this:

"All 3 of us recognize that Mohammad Amir is in the later stages of his career, and is a swing bowler of fast-medium pace and short stature. He is not going to get red ball wickets in Asia, and we are flogging a dead horse if we waste what he has left in the tank on trying to get him to bowl there.

In future, we agree that Amir will be a white ball specialist, who will be available for Tests in England, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand only. This should enable him to retain his remaining pace and fitness for the maximum possible time".

And it worked. In his final 3 Test series Mohammad Amir averaged 21.00 with the ball.

The whole reason for the deal between Amir, Inzamam and Arthur was that Misbah had overbowled him in the first 12 months of his Test return, and Amir had ended up with chronic injuries and reduced pace.

But when Misbah was lined up to take over BOTH the Inzamam AND the Arthur positions, Amir realized that the end was night.

I don't like that Amir spot-fixed. And I don't like that his age cheating got him out of going to adult prison.

But I think he has been horribly treated since 2016, horrible as in "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs".

I disagree with the treatment part. I think he has been treated as well as anyone in Pakistan cricket. Some great legends of the past have been treated much worse and he was only a "potential" legend when he cheated. You add to that the fact that he has also definitely cheated on his age as well, it is hard to have any sympathy for him.

There is also a less tangible aspect of this saga which I think may have an impact on the future generation: Would we want to see a trundler setting a bench mark for future pacers to follow? I for one think it may just be a blessing in disguise. I wouldn't want youngsters to try to emulate him and bowl military medium just to preserve their "legacy". I rather see a few out and out fast bowlers (ideally with skills) steaming in and having a crack at the stumps, toes and the helmets.

[Junaids]

I disagree with the treatment part. I think he has been treated as well as anyone in Pakistan cricket. Some great legends of the past have been treated much worse and he was only a "potential" legend when he cheated. You add to that the fact that he has also definitely cheated on his age as well, it is hard to have any sympathy for him.

There is also a less tangible aspect of this saga which I think may have an impact on the future generation: Would we want to see a trundler setting a bench mark for future pacers to follow? I for one think it may just be a blessing in disguise. I wouldn't want youngsters to try to emulate him and bowl military medium just to preserve their "legacy". I rather see a few out and out fast bowlers (ideally with skills) steaming in and having a crack at the stumps, toes and the helmets.

I think we are at cross purposes with what we are discussing.

I don't care whether Mohammad Amir at the age of (I think) 32 gets treated with respect. He has done a lot to deserve NOT to be treated with respect.

The issue for me is that he is probably a year older than Trent Boult - who is of a similar height and pace - and we saw a year ago in Australia that Boult himself is at an age at which he has a lot of miles on the clock and can only perform if HIS workload is managed carefully.

If you carefully and professionally manage the workloads of people like Boult and Amir you can probably eke out another 120 wickets in 30 Tests after their 30th birthday. (Boult has 26 wickets in 8 Tests at an average of 31.92 since his 30th birthday, compared with 222 wickets at 28.14 before his 30th birthday - a deterioration of almost 11% already).

Amir and Boult do not deserve managed workloads because they command respect. They deserve managed workloads because they can still deliver victories that other bowlers cannot so long as the wear and tear on their bodies is strictly managed.

[NoBallZombie]

I think we are at cross purposes with what we are discussing.

I don't care whether Mohammad Amir at the age of (I think) 32 gets treated with respect. He has done a lot to deserve NOT to be treated with respect.

The issue for me is that he is probably a year older than Trent Boult - who is of a similar height and pace - and we saw a year ago in Australia that Boult himself is at an age at which he has a lot of miles on the clock and can only perform if HIS workload is managed carefully.

If you carefully and professionally manage the workloads of people like Boult and Amir you can probably eke out another 120 wickets in 30 Tests after their 30th birthday. (Boult has 26 wickets in 8 Tests at an average of 31.92 since his 30th birthday, compared with 222 wickets at 28.14 before his 30th birthday - a deterioration of almost 11% already).

Amir and Boult do not deserve managed workloads because they command respect. They deserve managed workloads because they can still deliver victories that other bowlers cannot so long as the wear and tear on their bodies is strictly managed.

The problem is the assumption that he gave up test cricket because of workload management. How many test matches does Pakistan play in an year? 5 at most? That is not enough to warrant a break down for a fast bowler. If Amir was serious about workload management, he would not be doing his mercenary gigs for every cricket league around the world. While I agree workload management is an issue that PCB in general doesnt understand or wants to implement (I have only seen Naseem being managed somewhat differently), I feel that this issue with Amir is not about workload management and more about Amir's attitude.

[kingusama92]

I pointed this out on a previous thread, how Amir has been playing in all these random T20 Leagues and still complaining about his workload and whatnot in these interviews he has.

First of all, who in their right mind can call Waqar Younis, arguably one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game, "sarkar". Is he in his right mind? Amir is utterly pathetic and a comparison with Waqar Younis is like comparing a broken stick to a sharpened samurai sword. How does he dare to bring such an attitude towards our legends and greats of the game.

How does he have tha audacity to claim workload issues and retire from a format without any information being given to the PCB? How does he claim that his workload prevents him from doing well when he is clearly unfit and cannot bowl above 140kph?

This workload claim is a joke, an injured man would have the common sense to rest, so if a person has a high workload, the obvious and practical decision would be to take some rest, not retire from a format and play random T20 leagues around the world.

I respect Amir for what he has done for Pakistan cricket, but moving forward, this attitude and this excuse will be the reason that he won't play for Pakistan again.

Should have stuck with Junaid Khan and Shinwari instead of Mohammad Amir.

It truly is sad to see one of the nations brightest hopes become some medium pace T20 mercenary with no respect for the people and board that helped him back on his feet after his own carelessness and pathetic mistake.

To be fair, bowling in a T20 league is nothing more than practice.

It's like 30-40 overs in an entire tournament if you make the final.

You can bowl more in one Test. Sometimes in a single innings.

[hitthestump]

If Wasim Akram was a bowling coach, he would have definitely made some quality bowlers for us.

Lol. Wasim is far too smart to get involved with the travelling circus otherwise known as the PCB.

[Rana]

Sarkar Younis

What an epic title

[Junaids]

The problem is the assumption that he gave up test cricket because of workload management. How many test matches does Pakistan play in an year? 5 at most? That is not enough to warrant a break down for a fast bowler. If Amir was serious about workload management, he would not be doing his mercenary gigs for every cricket league around the world. While I agree workload management is an issue that PCB in general doesnt understand or wants to implement (I have only seen Naseem being managed somewhat differently), I feel that this issue with Amir is not about workload management and more about Amir's attitude.

Both Amir and Arthur have corroborated that story, so I have no reason not to believe it.

I think we should view Amir as effectively being on his last legs as a Test bowler.

Personally, I would say that he only plays the following Tests:

Dukes Ball Tests - in England, Ireland and the West Indies.
Tests in South Africa
Pink Ball Tests in Australia and New Zealand.

That's it. Nothing else. But in those conditions he would be more useful than anyone else.

[waleed88]

Waqar Younis speaking to media:

“Workload is not the reason why Mohammad Amir has been dropped or why he has decided to not play Test cricket because he's still playing different leagues"


So What is Waqar implying here?

Here is Amir's reply to that:

Waqar Younis returns with another foot in his mouth comment.

[waleed88]

I have been one of the most vocal critics of Amir on this forum, yet I think Amir retiring from Test Cricket was the best decision in the interest of his career. Visibly his stats have improved since his retirement. He had lost the desire and I don't know what investments were made by the PCB oligarchs for Amir to return and act as a savior for the country. I do believe Waqar and Misbah are acting as mouth pieces for a grudge that the PCB management has against Amir for not returning the investments made on his to bring him back to International cricket ASAP.

PCB were hell bent to bring back Amir 6 months before, and Najam sethi was seen making extra requests to the ICC for his return. For a while, after his first performance against India in the 2016 world cup t20s it looked like Amir had never left. Slowly but surely the realization came in test cricket that he had been sub-par, despite playing most of his matches abroad. Then the CT 17 performance got everyone talking again. But again it was visible that this guy had lost it, and his average for suffering alot in tests because of that. In ODI, the dude never picked a 5'fer until the 2019 world cup, and he wasn't playing test cricket then. Afterwards he focused solely on LOI, and he clearly was doing much better. I don't understand what the issue is here. A long term investment who's dividends haven't been received. Leave the guy alone man, Srilanka never gave Malinga s*** for not playing t20s, and the guy won them a t20 world cup. These are some sour grapes the management has against Amir. I had alot of respect for Misbah the cricketer, but Misbah the coach has left me disappointed with this dictatorial attitude.

[cric_4life]

In start it was the problem created by management, Amir was doing well after his return but then they made him play every single game, even matches against Zimbabwe. That was the point anyone could tell it wont go well.
Amir kn his end also has ego issues, he didnt work hard enough, pace have dropped drastically and for some reason when player like Ander son Zaheer khan developed swing late in their careers Amir for some reason has lost the art all togather. He needs to work on his swing and develop bit of batting he can still play for pakistan as a first change bowler.
But now that Waqar is the coach, I dknt see that possibility either, Waqar is another guy with big ego. He still thinks himself of a Star bowler that he use to be.

[Godhelpma]

Drop this shameless spot fixer for good . He is pathetic as a bowler and does not merit a team selection based on either his performance or attitude. Whether he plays any XYZ t-20 league , should not be of concern. Moreover, age is also not on his side , rather young bowlers should be invested on .

[Babbar]

There are people in Pakistan who still listens to this greedy lazy unrepentant multi-level cheat over legends like Waqar Younis?

[Hitman]

Can't believe fans still have time for this average cricketer.

[Shafi]

I am a great fan of Amir but lately he is thinking too highly of himself. Ever since he has returned to cricket, apart from few matches his performance is very ordinary.
Instead of focusing to improve his skill he is too busy start picking fight. First with Afghan player and now with Waqar. If he intends to play these franchise foreign leagues please retire. Amir has lack of passion for Pakistan cricket and no motivation to perform.

[Mamoon]

Trust me, he will be back in squad for T20WC just like WC19. Public/media pressure will get him back in the team and Amir knows this fact. So, he will collect his paycheck playing leagues and show up to play WC. AB Devilliers wanted to follow the same model but SA closed the gates on him. I am looking forward to see if Misbah would give in to the media pressure.

More than public and media pressure, PCB’s realization that keeping him out for nothing bowlers like Musa and Rauf is not a very smart strategy to begin with.

Misbah wants to prove a point that Amir is not loyal to Pakistan and he is not needed anymore, but he is not helping himself when he is picking dross in his stead.

Or perhaps all we have is dross to begin with, which again means that dropping Amir for inferior bowlers was pointless.

De Villiers situation was different. He retired and un-retired a dozen times and no one knew what he would do next. Few months before the World Cup, he said he was unavailable and then right before the squad was to be announced, he made himself available.

Amir so far has not taken any U-turns. He has retired from Tests and is available for LOIs. So you Pick him if you don’t have better options.

It is not that complicated, but Misbah has made the whole situation complicated because he wants to prove a point which he doesn’t need to and cannot even do it in the first place.

[Mamoon]

This whole loyalty and patriotism stuff is nonsense anyway.

You are not sending Amir to the borders to fight soldiers.

You are selecting him to play cricket matches and even if he is not ready to lay his life down for the country which most of us are not anyway, he will still do his job that he is paid for.

Those who complain about his lack of intensity and passion. Well, I would take his lack of intensity and passion over Rauf screaming like a madman.

What good is intensity and passion when you are not international material. At least Amir has some pedigree, experience and is respected by the greatest batsmen of this generation.

The other is just a street cricket bowler with a grand total of 7 FC wickets to his name.

[NoBallZombie]

This whole loyalty and patriotism stuff is nonsense anyway.

You are not sending Amir to the borders to fight soldiers.

You are selecting him to play cricket matches and even if he is not ready to lay his life down for the country which most of us are not anyway, he will still do his job that he is paid for.

Those who complain about his lack of intensity and passion. Well, I would take his lack of intensity and passion over Rauf screaming like a madman.

What good is intensity and passion when you are not international material. At least Amir has some pedigree, experience and is respected by the greatest batsmen of this generation.

The other is just a street cricket bowler with a grand total of 7 FC wickets to his name.

There are a few extreme comparisons in your post. Yes these guys are not going on borders to defend the country, but any organisation in the world would want their employees to be loyal. That loyalty does not mean that they bleed themselves to death but it does mean you consider the negative impact of your decisions on the organisation. For example, if I were managing a team towards a tight deadline and just before delivering the project, I jump ship ... that is going to have a negative impact on the company. All he should have done was talk to the management and collaborate to come up with a plan.

Rauf vs Amir is an extreme comparison, Rauf looks like a jerk and he was called out here in Australia for his extreme celebration (slitting the throat). No one can condone this needless passion/aggression. However guys like Naseem, Hasnain and to some extent Musa are not as skillful as Amir but they definitely give all they have got.

[shariqnoor]

About time we moved past him. Kudos to Misbah for seeing through him and realizing he offers nothing going forward. He is nowhere near good enough at the international level. Picking up wickets in the substandard LPL but the moment he got confronted by a world class player in Russell, he got demolished.

[Mamoon]

There are a few extreme comparisons in your post. Yes these guys are not going on borders to defend the country, but any organisation in the world would want their employees to be loyal. That loyalty does not mean that they bleed themselves to death but it does mean you consider the negative impact of your decisions on the organisation. For example, if I were managing a team towards a tight deadline and just before delivering the project, I jump ship ... that is going to have a negative impact on the company. All he should have done was talk to the management and collaborate to come up with a plan.

Rauf vs Amir is an extreme comparison, Rauf looks like a jerk and he was called out here in Australia for his extreme celebration (slitting the throat). No one can condone this needless passion/aggression. However guys like Naseem, Hasnain and to some extent Musa are not as skillful as Amir but they definitely give all they have got.

What tight deadline and what project? Amir retired from Test cricket.

Should Amir have retired within 3 years of making a comeback? Probably not, but that is his compulsion.

Like many, I also felt that Amir was being ungrateful because PCB tried very hard to bring him back and selected him again right away as soon as he was unavailable.

However, when you think about it, PCB fast-tracked him because they needed him, not because they cared about him. If he was in his 30s, he would been treated like Butt and Asif.

So Amir has no reason to be thankful.

As long as he hasn’t retired from ODIs and T20Is and you do not have better alternatives, you should pick him instead of proving some useless point.

[hur rizvi]

What tight deadline and what project? Amir retired from Test cricket.

Should Amir have retired within 3 years of making a comeback? Probably not, but that is his compulsion.

Like many, I also felt that Amir was being ungrateful because PCB tried very hard to bring him back and selected him again right away as soon as he was unavailable.

However, when you think about it, PCB fast-tracked him because they needed him, not because they cared about him. If he was in his 30s, he would been treated like Butt and Asif.

So Amir has no reason to be thankful.

As long as he hasn’t retired from ODIs and T20Is and you do not have better alternatives, you should pick him instead of proving some useless point.

Amir has no reason to be thankful?

Are you serious he was afforded a chance after literally getting caught fixing live on TV. Anyone who is afforded such an opportunity should be thankful till his last breath

[Mamoon]

Amir has no reason to be thankful?

Are you serious he was afforded a chance after literally getting caught fixing live on TV. Anyone who is afforded such an opportunity should be thankful till his last breath

He was given a chance because PCB needed him. They didn’t do “ehsaan” on him.

[Caved12]

This whole loyalty and patriotism stuff is nonsense anyway.

You are not sending Amir to the borders to fight soldiers.

You are selecting him to play cricket matches and even if he is not ready to lay his life down for the country which most of us are not anyway, he will still do his job that he is paid for.

Those who complain about his lack of intensity and passion. Well, I would take his lack of intensity and passion over Rauf screaming like a madman.

What good is intensity and passion when you are not international material. At least Amir has some pedigree, experience and is respected by the greatest batsmen of this generation.

The other is just a street cricket bowler with a grand total of 7 FC wickets to his name.

A player like Amir will never be liked by his fellow players and coaches if he continues to hold himself back and only perform when he feels like it. The issue seems to be that Amir wants to play on his own terms and wants to save his body to prolong his career so he can continue to play these T20 leagues. As a captain or coach, If I schedule a practice session and notice that everyone is giving 100% but there is one guy who is always involved in some acting job and holding himself back, so he can save his body, then I must stop this nonsense right away at any cost, otherwise it will completely kill the system i am trying to implement because other players won't listen to me when I preach about giving 100% whether it is a game or practice. There is no doubt that Amir is the best bowler in our country, and bowlers like Musa, Rauf etc are not even fit to tie his shoelace, but still there comes a time when selectors need to set an example and drop a player like Amir so others can see and learn to never take things for granted. This can also help Amir become a better bowler if he takes this whole process positively, but it seems that he is ready to fire back at people who don't speak of him very highly. No matter how corrupt your cricket board is, a player in a system should never be able to dictate his terms, otherwise you are waiting for a disaster to happen, which is exactly what Pakistan cricket is all about - A diaster.
I don't think Misbah alone decided to drop him from the team as I think PCB as a whole decided to teach him a lesson as Amir have been acting weirdly for a long time now. I also think that nobody liked the way he showed up to play for the National T20 league because a lot of work was done to take our domestic cricket to another level and senior players were supposed to set an example, instead Amir showed up half fit and was bowling garbage after garbage. It is really hard to know, but I don't think Amir is taking care of his diet or even making sure that he is living a healthy life style as I always see dark circles around his eyes and many other indications that his body is full of toxins.

[Varun]

The 30-averaging fraud has a motive to stay in the news so the next T20 league will remember who he is.

That's all there is to Uis.

[Savak]

He was given a chance because PCB needed him. They didn’t do “ehsaan” on him.

Yeah well, he's not needed anymore.

[Savak]

To be fair, bowling in a T20 league is nothing more than practice.

It's like 30-40 overs in an entire tournament if you make the final.

You can bowl more in one Test. Sometimes in a single innings.

And even now he is not setting the world on fire, he is bowling harmless 127-133 km/hr cutters as opposed to 140-145 km/hr swinging the ball and looking like a world class bowler. The PCB dropped him on recent form which has not been good enough.

[hur rizvi]

He was given a chance because PCB needed him. They didn’t do “ehsaan” on him.

They did "ehsaan" on him by fighting for him by supporting him a lot at every stage during his ban.

Whether they needed him or not doesn't matter at all

[Mamoon]

They did "ehsaan" on him by fighting for him by supporting him a lot at every stage during his ban.

Whether they needed him or not doesn't matter at all

Of course it matters. If you need someone for something and you support him/her, it is not a favor. You are simply taking your own interests into consideration.

[Mamoon]

Yeah well, he's not needed anymore.

That’s fine but then at least pick someone who is better to watch. You can’t pick the likes of Musa and Rauf and then claim that he is not needed anymore.

[Caved12]

Surely playing in some T20 leagues does not equate to playing Test cricket.

Call the decision selfish or sensible - but the fact is that Amir will not be bowling anywhere near the amount of overs now that he has retired from Tests.

It is not like he is only showing up to bowl only 4 overs in a match as in a 3 week tournament, they must be practicing daily or at least 5-6 days a week, combine this with traveling and all the added stress that comes with it. We all know that stress is the biggest killer of our minds and bodies, so no you can't go around and play every t20 tournament.

[hur rizvi]

Of course it matters. If you need someone for something and you support him/her, it is not a favor. You are simply taking your own interests into consideration.

I am not interested in arguing with you. So this is my last comment on this matter. Don't quote me again on this

It's not about supporting him/her in normal terms. It's about affording a new chance to a convicted felon even earlier than the completion of the punishment. Amir was allowed to play FC cricket/club cricket earlier than Asif/Butt and credit goes to PCB who fought for him. If this is not Ehsaan/favor I dont know what is.

[JibranAnsari]

A total of 22 test matches

46 ODIs

32 T20s

in 4 years.

too much workload?


5.5 test matches , 11.5 ODIs and 8 T20s per year.

Wow.

[liam26]

Lol Pak fans waste so much energy on this average Cricketer. Amirs body, Amirs mood, Amirs confidence, Amir this, Amir that. One would think Mohammed Amir is some ATG of the sport.... Even Kohli doesn't get so much attention in India.

[Manunited18]

A overrated trundler, shaheen is the man to lead the attack for the future backed by naseem and rauf, who when get the experience of playing more international cricket then Amir will be a after thought