One of the best bowlers for Pakistan in the current age, Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from Test cricket in July 2019. Pakistan’s bowling coach, Waqar Younis, recently talked about the same and said that the nation felt disheartened when he decided to call it quits from the longest format of the game.
“Amir is a seasoned bowler and at times it did hurt when he left Test cricket at a crucial time and we all expressed our displeasure on it. But we have moved on and we have to see where he stands.” Waqar Younis was quoted as saying in ESPN Cricinfo.
Owing to the birth of his daughter, Mohammad Amir recently pulled out of the tour to England to play three Tests and as many ODIs. However, after the early delivery of her daughter than expected, he has now made himself available for the tour. The Pakistan bowler is currently in England and if he can come out with two positive tests, then he will be included in the squad, replacing Harris Rauf, who has tested positive twice.
“Amir is an experienced fast bowler and was in our white-ball plans, and we are just utilising the chance to have as many ready bowlers as we can.” Waqar added.
The departure of Amir from Test cricket made way for younger bowlers who could make a mark in Test cricket. Waqar Younis also said that the team can function without one player and will continue to prosper even if the most important player decides to quit the game.
“If he’s (Amir) up to the mark, then we will pick him and play him. But nobody is indispensable. I never thought we couldn’t function without one cricketer. That’s the wrong way to think,” Younis said.
“There should be competition; that actually helps the team. If you go back to the 90s, Wasim Akram, me, Shoaib Akhtar, and many others around were pushing hard for international selection, and that is where teams really blossom,” he added.
