The 32-year-old, who faced a spot-fixing scandal in 2011, recently came out of retirement and is grateful for the opportunity to represent his country once again.
“It’s a great feeling to be playing for Pakistan again. I want to complete the unfinished work and, for me, the short-term goal is to win the World Cup,” Amir said from Lahore this week ahead of the tournament in the United States and the West Indies beginning on June 2.
Amir’s promising career took a dramatic turn in 2010 when he, along with captain Salman Butt and fellow quick bowler Mohammad Asif, were banned from cricket for five years and jailed for their involvement in spot-fixing during a Test match in England.
Despite the setback, Amir returned to play for Pakistan in 2016 but announced his retirement in December 2020 due to poor form.
Now, Amir is set to form a formidable pace bowling attack alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf, making Pakistan one of the favourites for the World Cup.
Amir’s journey to cricket stardom began in Changa Bangial village in Punjab province, where his five older brothers introduced him to the sport. At the age of 15, he was discovered by the legendary left-armer Wasim Akram at a fast bowling camp. Within two years, Amir had grown in height and overcome a stress fracture of the back.
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Looking back on his career, Amir cherishes the memories of the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup victory, where he took six wickets in seven matches, including the crucial dismissal of Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan in the final. The warm reception he received upon returning to his village after the tournament remains a special moment for him.
“The 2009 Twenty20 World Cup winning memories are special and excite me to this day. I was selected for the first time and then became part of a champion team. When I landed (back) at Rawalpindi airport to go to my village there were so many cars and they were showering flowers on me,” recalled Amir.
As Amir prepares for the upcoming T20 World Cup, he is focused on making the most of this second chance to win the trophy for his country. “I am lucky that I am still playing. When I came, I was the youngest in the team, so here I am having another chance to win the World Cup and that is the target for me and my team,” concluded the fast bowler.
(Inputs from AFP)
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