Mohammad Amir’s fans – and there are many of them out there – had a euphoric moment on Tuesday when the 23-year-old representing Chittagong Vikings got the better of Mohammed Hafeez, who is playing for Dhaka Dynamites, in the Bangladesh Premier League. Amir finished with figures of 3/18 in his four overs as he continues to impress everyone through his on-field performances.
Last month Hafeez said that he turned down the £60,000 offered by the Vikings because he “didn’t want to share a dressing room with Mohammad Amir.” Reports also claim that Hafeez had earlier refused to share a net with him during training.
“I am not against any individuals,” Hafeez said in an interview with Cricinfo. “It is about the image of Pakistani cricket. I cannot play with any player who has tarnished and brought a bad name to the country.”
Playing for Chittagong Vikings
Amir’s celebration after dismissing Hafeez, on the fourth delivery after three dot bolls, showed how much it meant to him. But it is precisely such reactions that Amir needs to curtail if he wants to stage a comeback to the national team any time soon. The moral compass will be pointing away from him for the near future.
In a press conference on Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman had reiterated precisely this.
“There is no doubt that Amir is performing really well but he needs to be monitored more,” said Khan. “It’s not time yet to include him in the team. His performance is good on the ground, but his attitude is not yet right for the game.”
Few can question Amir's skill, but the 23-year-old needs to keep his feet firmly on the ground and earn his comeback.
Not even his biggest detractors would question the fact that Amir is the most talented fast bowler in the country right now. But the attitude that the PCB Chairman referred to in his interview was obviously the need for humbleness on the road to redemption.
While some can sympathise with Amir’s reaction after dismissing Hafeez, it’s hard to support it. Yes, he was just a 17-year-old who was punished for his crimes – which is more than one can say for many Pakistani cricketers, some of whom are legends of the game – his arrogance won’t bring him any closer to wearing the green jersey.
Former captain Ramiz Raja is among those most vocally against Amir’s comeback.
“Pakistani cricket has suffered a lot. I don’t have the courage to face any more shocks or jolts again. I have experienced this practically and those who have witnessed such things practically can’t forgive the characters involved in the act,” he said in a recent interview.
Hafeez had presented a much stronger case against Amir than his claim that he rejected the Vikings because of Amir, something that the BPL side has refuted. “We had to suffer the taunts of the fans and after 2010 every act, every defeat and every mistake of ours was seen as suspicious, so we overcame that tough time and will not allow it to happen again,” Hafeez said. It is hard to argue against that.
Even so, what is even harder to argue against is the simple reality that the man in question has served the punishment for his crime – a crime, it must be stressed, which he committed when he was a juvenile. Let’s not forget that one of the greatest legends of cricket - not only in Pakistan, but in world cricket - Wasim Akram survived a match-fixing sentence by the skin of his teeth because the judge giving the verdict was a “fan”.
Amir in a domestic match following his return
“For Wasim I had some soft corner for him. He was a very great player, a very great bowler and I was his fan, and therefore that thing did weigh with me,” Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum told Cricinfo in 2006. This was six years after he banned Salim Malik and Atta-ur-Rehman, but only fined Wasim Akram, following the infamous match-fixing scandal in 2000.
As far as match-fixing is concerned, there have been many skeletons in Pakistani cricket’s closet over the years, most of them going unpunished.
“Amir has served his punishment and he deserves to come back in the (cricketing) community and enhance his profession,” coach Waqar Younis said, adding that “everyone is on the same page about that.”
T20 captain Shahid Afridi also said that he would not object it if Amir is a part of the Pakistani squad in the near future. “After the spot-fixing in London, Mohammed Amir came to me and admitted his mistake and assured me not to do it again in future”, Afridi is reported to have said to PCB officials. “He is also improving his behaviour.”
“I’m sure Amir can run in and win (Pakistan) the World Cup,” said former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, while agreeing that the left-arm pacer deserves a shot at redemption.
Few would argue against Amir being Pakistan’s potential trump card in next year’s World T20. Even so, those around Amir need to make sure he remains humble and modest, and appreciative of the fact that his actions and behaviour will be closely scrutinised for years to come.
