Shahid Afridi backs Amir for Return to Int'l Cricket
Mohammad Amir last played for Pakistan in September.
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi believes retired pacer Mohammad Amir still has the potential to stage a comeback into the national team.
Despite not playing international cricket for the past four years, the 31-year-old had a decent Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine while representing Quetta Gladiators. He managed to take ten wickets in nine innings at an economy of 8.41.
In an interview with a local news channel, Afridi expressed his opinion that Amir belongs to the league of top Pakistan pacers and can easily earn a spot in the national team.
"Amir can easily find his way back into the Pakistan team even today. He is par with Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi. There is still plenty of cricket left in Amir, and he should represent Pakistan," Afridi stated.
During Eliminator 1, Amir displayed his skills with a spell of 2-20 in four overs, although his team lost to Islamabad United.
Former Pakistani pacer Waqar Younis, commenting on the match, highlighted Amir's performance, suggesting that Shaheen Shah Afridi should take a cue from his bowling.
“I hope Shaheen Afridi is watching that because he needs to do that more often. Because early on if it [the ball] isn’t swinging, just hit this length,” Waqar Younis remarked.
Additionally, commentator Ramiz Raja praised Amir's bowling, noting that his consistent length throughout the over put the batsmen in a dilemma.
“This was well bowled, look at the length. He spotted that length and just carried on hammering the ball there, forcing the batsman to be in two minds,” remarked Ramiz Raja while analyzing Amir’s performance against Islamabad.
It's worth mentioning that Amir retired from international cricket in December 2020. Despite playing in various franchise leagues worldwide, he has reiterated that he has no intentions of returning to international cricket.
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