KARACHI: At the T20 World Cup next month, Ahmad Amir, a rejuvenated fast bowler, stated that he has “unfinished work,” fifteen years after shining as a teenager when Pakistan last won the championship.
After serving a jail sentence for spot-fixing in 2011, the 32-year-old came out of retirement last month and expressed gratitude to get another chance to compete in the World Cup.
Before the competition in the United States and the West Indies starts on June 2, Amir told AFP over the phone this week from Lahore, “It’s a great feeling to be playing for Pakistan again.” “My short-term goal is to win the World Cup and I want to finish the unfinished work.”
After making his debut for Pakistan in 2009 and competing in the T20 World Cup, the young Amir shined across all formats.
He rose to prominence as one of cricket’s most promising young players in less than a year, but his meteoric rise came to an untimely end in 2010.
After being exposed in a newspaper sting, Amir was one of three Pakistani cricket players banned from the game for five years for spot-fixing during a Test match in England. Later, he served a six-month prison sentence in the UK.
In addition to being banned, Pakistani captain Salman Butt—who was identified as the ringleader—and fellow quick bowler Mohammad Asif served 30- and 12-month jail terms, respectively.
Amir played for Pakistan again in 2016 following his suspension, but his poor form prevented him from getting selected, and in December 2020 he shockingly declared his retirement.
Along with Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, he will create a formidable fast bowling assault that will put Pakistan among the favorites in the World Cup.
“I have to live up to the trust that the Pakistan Cricket Board and the team management have placed in me,” Amir declared. “I’ve returned after a four-year absence, and words cannot express the feeling you get when you represent your nation.”
Amir claimed three wickets in a 2-2 tied series while playing in three of the four Twenty20 home matches against New Zealand last month. He also expressed a sense of being back on the attack.
“To be honest, I felt more fit than I did in 2019, and you can’t express yourself until you’re fit, so I’m ready to keep getting better,” Amir stated.
He will be playing on May 10, 12, and 14 when Pakistan visits Ireland for three Twenty20 matches in Dublin.
Then, on May 22, May 25, May 28, May 30, and May 30, Pakistan travels to England to play the reigning T20 world champions at Leeds, Birmingham, and Cardiff.
From village boy to hero
Raised in the Punjab town of Changa Bangial, around 60 kilometers away from Islamabad, Amir was inspired to become a successful cricket player by his five elder brothers.
At the age of fifteen, Wasim Akram, the legendary left-armer, selected him out at a fast bowling camp. In just two years, he recovered from a back stress fracture and gained height.
Amir stated that he now merely wished to recall his career’s positive moments.
“Even now, I still get excited about the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup winning memories,” Amir, who claimed six wickets in seven games during the competition, added.
They featured Pakistan’s eight-wicket victory in the final, which included the tournament’s player of the year, Tillakaratne Dilshan, of Sri Lanka, being out for a reward.
“After being chosen for the first time, I joined a winning squad.
“There were so many cars and they were showering me with flowers when I landed (back) at the Rawalpindi airport to go to my village,” he recalled.
“That I am still playing is a blessing. As the youngest member of the team when I arrived, my team and I have set the goal of winning the World Cup as our objective.
