Amir & Dhoni
What lies in store for Pakistan’s pace ace and Indian veteran one-day skipper?
It is a well-documented fact, and perhaps a universal truth, that when one of Pakistan’s greatest sportsmen, the well respected and hugely popular Imran Khan speaks on any issue related to cricket, the world stops and listens.
This is also why, when Imran Khan stated that Mohammad Amir was even more talented than another great, Wasim Akram, at the same young age, there really wasn’t much room for argument about the potential of the seventeen-year-old when he hit the international cricket scene in 2009 against Sri Lanka.
With his uncanny ability to make the ball ‘talk’ at high speeds, the young man continued to impress cricket audiences and aficionados in equal measure until August 2010. It was during the fourth Test match of the 2010 tour of England that the man expected to pick up the baton of Pakistan’s fast bowling riches moved from the status of a crowd favourite, to the object of hatred and ridicule, with his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.
As expected, the world of cricket reacted with horror to this news and even the usually composed Michael Holding was reduced to tears as he struggled to hold back his emotions as he discussed it on television.
Left with no choice, the ICC acted with unison to ban the three accused players – Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Amir for five years. They were later jailed.
Imprisoned and humiliated, Amir had fallen from the status of a national hero to that of a criminal within a matter of a few months. Slowly, the harsh reality of being labelled a ‘fixer’ for the rest of his life and the possibility of never being allowed to resume his international career started to take material shape.
The young fast bowler then made the wise choice of repairing the damage to his career by launching a public-relations campaign to offer a human side to his personality, including an interview with Michael Atherton where he accepted his guilt and sought to explain the reasons behind his actions.
He also became a voice for the ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) by appearing in videos and to share his experience and help deter young cricketers from following the same self-destructive path.
Last year with the backing of the Pakistan Cricket Board, who were probably desperate to shore up Pakistan’s dwindling pace bowling fortunes, and with the ICC taking consideration of all miti- gating circumstances such as Amir’s cooperation with the ACSU, the left-arm paceman was again allowed to compete in domestic cricket in Pakistan ahead of the expiry of his five-year ban.
The news of his impending reintroduction immediately split Pakistan and cricket followers around the world.
One school argued with some conviction that he should never have been allowed the privilege of stepping on to a cricket field again, while the other claimed that the young man had served his time for the crime and had shown enough in his behaviour to be offered a shot at redemption.
To many, such as former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja, the reintroduction of Amir into cricket at any level was unthinkable and would send the wrong message for others contemplating this crime.
Ramiz’s views were also shared by Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali in the current Pakistan team and for a short while, there were genuine doubts as to how the player would fit in the Pakistan
One school argued that he should never be allowed the privilege of stepping onto a cricket field again while others claimed the young man had served his time
team again. Thankfully for Pakistan and many of Amir’s supporters, this crisis was laid to rest after intervention by the PCB and Amir made his return to international cricket against New Zealand in January, 2016.
Despite those loud objections by former cricketers and probably his own self-doubt, Amir has continued to feature for Pakistan in all series and tournaments since his return in January.
From what can be gleaned from the matches he has played so far, all indications point to the fact that the Amir of the early years is back for Pakistan.
There were glimpses of that bowling genius in some unplayable deliveries in the Asia Cup and also in the recently concluded World T20 and, judging by what the newly appointed head coach of Pakistan, Mickey Arthur has said, Pakistan have high hopes of future greatness for the young fast-bowler. The sky appears to be the limit for Amir as long as he simply concentrates on cricket and doesn’t let outside influences and voices of dissent damage his resolve once again. So what can England expect from the second coming of Mohammad Amir? If statements from Virat Kohli, who showered praise (and a gift) on Amir, and Wasim Akram, who thinks that Amir can become legendary in the future are any indication, then England have some serious planning to do as they prepare for the next series. While England may have largely dominated the Sri Lankan pace attack, they will face a sterner test from Amir when he does make his Test return. This is appreciated by none other than England Test captain Alastair Cook who wasted no time in sounding a warning which suggested some unease at the prospect of facing the talented Pakistan bowler. There is little doubt that Amir’s huge talent was obvious until the time he last played for Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, and his likely return to Test cricket at the same venue on July 14 will inspire many emotions amongst cricket followers.
A few would argue that Amir owes his return to the dearth of fast-bowling talent in Pakistan but it has to be said that regardless of the circumstances of his return, the world of cricket will be a richer place when he marks his run-up in a few weeks’ time.
While many will remember Amir’s previous appearance at Lord’s with disdain, the Honours Board still records his figures of 6-84.
For Pakistan fans who have waited patiently for more than five years for his return to Test cricket, this is the only part of the story which they would like to see repeated.
The expectations on Amir, still only 24, will be immense.
There is plenty of advice being given to him from various quarters, but the only thing he needs to do, and focus upon, is to ignore his detractors, ignore the minority who feel he should have received a life ban and just concentrate at what he is best at, which is bowling brilliantly.
And who knows, perhaps after this tour of England, Mohammad Amir will be remembered for his on-field performances and not off the field events as he was last time around.