Matchwinner Amir still has time on his side

Mohammad Amir was “down and out” during his spot-fixing ban but has the cricket world at his feet again after his match-winning spell enabled Pakistan to shock their great rivals India in the Champions Trophy final.

As Pakistan celebrated their tale of the unexpected at The Oval, two of Amir’s closest allies in the team spoke about his chequered past, brilliant present and potentially even better future.

All-rounder Imad Wasim first met Amir, pictured, a decade ago, when they were promising teenagers, long before the Lord’s spot-fixing saga which resulted in a sixmonth prison sentence and derailed the superlative leftarm seamer’s career with a five-year ban from all cricket.

There were almost six years, in fact, between Amir’s Lord’s Tests either side of his excommunication – and, after returning last summer for a series against England, a handful of miles across the Thames on Sunday he delivered a wonderful spell of three for 16 which fasttracked Pakistan to their 180-run win.

Imad, and Amir’s new-ball partner and fellow left-armer Junaid Khan, were both unsurprised by the deeds of one of the most skilled cricketers on the planet.

“I’ve played with him since 2007, captained him in Pakistan Under-19s, and I’ve always believed in Amir,” Imad said. “He’salwaysbeenworldclass, and is a big-match player.”

“I met him when he had the ban, and it was not a good feeling,” Imad added.

“To live for five years without cricket, he was absolutely distracted from everything and he was down and out. I’m one of his best mates, and we really wanted him in the team.

“Whatever happened, happened [but] he’s the number one bowler in Pakistan cricket, added Imad.

“After five years out, you imagine how tough he is mentally (to come back like this). The best is yet to come from him.”

Only 25, Amir still has time to be an all-time great and served fresh notice by making the shortest work of India’s stellar top order.

Junaid added: “It was a turning point for us, that new-ball spell from Mohammad Amir. He’s improving every day back in international cricket.” Junaid is no slouch himself. “He bowls it coming in, and my natural swing is away,” he added.

“So it’s different, and that’s why when we bowl together it’s trouble for the batsmen.”