Mohammad Amir's First-Class team's Head Coach makes an impassioned appeal for more time to be given to the Pakistan bowler to regain his fitness and form before being rushed back into international cricket.

By Amir Husain (20th September, 2015)

The memories may be tinged with a hint of sadness at what it could have been, but the images of a precocious teenager charging into bowl with pace and movement which many others could only dream of remain permanently etched in the minds of Pakistan cricket followers.

Regarded by many as the rightful heir to the throne of the King of Swing Wasim Akram, the youngster from Gujjar Khan in Punjab had the world of cricket sitting up and taking notice. For a fleeting moment which lasted forty seven international games, the future of Pakistan’s fast bowling riches appeared to be in safe hands. August of 2010 changed all that as the dream of future greatness for the then eighteen year old Mohammad Amir came a to a screeching halt with his five year ban from international cricket due to his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal.

Mohammad Amir’s five year wait to play the game which brought him so much fame and notoriety in almost equal measure came to end recently when the ICC allowed him to play domestic and international cricket after the expiry of his ban. Now twenty three years of age and with a mature head on his shoulders, Amir is looking to resurrect his career by playing First Class cricket on behalf of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) under the watchful gaze of former Pakistan wicket-keeper-batsman Atiq-uz-Zaman.

In an interview with PakPassion.net, Atiq spoke about his ringside views on Mohammad Amir’s progress in First Class cricket so far and what he feels are the key challenges facing the Pakistan bowler in his attempts to make a comeback into domestic and international cricket.

The age old adage about class being permanent is one that must hold true for Amir. He may have been away from cricket for five years but his first spell for his team brought back memories of past glory, something that the coach was quick to pick up “During the match against ZTBL Amir showed the difference between a good bowler and a world-class bowler. He was swinging the ball both ways, he was bowling quick bouncers and his line and length was excellent. Nobody hit him for four down the ground and he showed that he's back.”

Whilst his spirit may be willing, it is a matter of concern that Mohammad Amir’s body may not be up to the task of facing the rigours of the stresses involved in playing the longer form of the game. This is crucial aspect for him as he works his way back towards a place in the national team. Despite the belief that Mohammad Amir’s skills with the ball have not deserted him, Atiq is under no illusions about what lies ahead for the fast-bowler in terms of match fitness and the effort that the coaching staff will need to undertake to support Amir in this cause.

“Regarding his fitness, a proper assessment can only be done after these five qualifying matches. He's obviously been playing mainly in Twenty20 tournaments but four-day cricket is entirely different but he coped very well. Naturally he's not 100% fit yet but that will come. He bowled for an hour at one point, bowling six overs in a row without any problems. We are making sure that he's looked after properly and that his workload isn't too heavy and that he is managed carefully when it comes to his bowling spells. He's motivated, he wants to bowl, but we need to make sure that he's not over-bowled and subsequently injured.”

So can the international career of Mohammad Amir of 2010 be resurrected with ease after five years of inactivity? How easy will it be for the left-arm artiste to make his presence felt again against the top batting line-ups of the world? Amir may well be keeping his thoughts to himself on the road ahead but his coach at SSGC has no qualms about forecasting future greatness for the young bowler, provided that the Pakistan Cricket Board also take interest his progress.

“His skill levels are there, they always will be. He's a confident young man and watching him bowl against ZTBL it looked as if he had never been away from cricket. But it's like a machine, if you don't use it for five years it gets a bit rusty. You have to restart it, manage it and look after it carefully. To be honest, I was expecting one of the national selectors to come and see Amir bowling and to see for themselves how he was bowling rather than just reading about it.”

Atiq’s optimism about Mohammad Amir’s comeback may well be founded upon concrete reasoning and will undoubtedly give great hope to many of Amir’s followers, the fact remains that five years away from the game is a gap which will need careful work to fill before we can see the young man start to impress audiences around the world again. The Head Coach of SSGC like many other die-hard fans of Pakistan cricket has Amir's best interests at heart when it comes to his wish to see Amir in Pakistan colours again, but he has some practical advice for Amir and his well-wishers which each will do well to heed as he suggests “Mohammad Amir shouldn't be rushed back into international cricket. Let him perform in domestic cricket particularly in First-Class cricket and in this qualifying tournament, then make a judgment. A proper call on his international return shouldn't be made too soon and he shouldn't be rushed back too early. Let him get some long spells under his belt and the four-day tournament under his belt also then think about a recall for Pakistan”, he concludes.

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