ISLAMABAD – Pakistan cricket team bowling coach Azhar Mahmood “wants more”from Mohammad Amir, a challenge he believes the paceman will rise to inupcoming Test matches against Ireland and England.
Amir was the hottest property in world cricket after bursting on the sceneas a teenager in 2009.
He was soon earning comparisons with fellow Pakistan left-arm fast bowlerWasim Akram, with Wasim himself declaring Amir a better bowler than he hadbeen at the same age.
At 18, Amir was the youngest bowler to have reached the landmark of 50 Testwickets.
His first 14 matches in the five-day game saw him take 51 wickets at just afraction over 23 apiece — figures that had Amir on course to be anall-time great.
But Amir’s world was turned upside down in 2010 when he and Mohammad Asifbecame involved in a spot-fixing scandal after deliberately bowlingno-balls during the Lord’s Test against England at the behest of thenPakistan captain Salman Butt.
In 2011 Amir was given a five-year ban by the International Cricket Counciland sentenced to six months in jail by an English court.
Amir returned to international duty in 2016 but his 16 Tests since hiscomeback have yielded 44 wickets at a relatively expensive 37.25.
“We want more from Amir, as bowling coach I want more from Amir,” Mahmoodtold AFP after the paceman took one wicket for 45 runs in 15 overs duringPakistan’s drawn tour opener against Kent at Canterbury on Tuesday.
“If you see his record since he came back it’s not great, but he was comingback after five years out,” the former Pakistan all-rounder added. “Heneeds to take a bit more responsibility and get more wickets for us.
“If he’s the leader of this attack, he needs to show us a bit more.