New Delhi, May 14 (TNS): Mohammad Amir’s injury on the third day of the one-off Test between Pakistan and Ireland has left the team management “concerned”, Indian media reported on Monday.
Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood spoke about managing Amir’s workload. The injury will come as a major setback for both the left-hand pacer as well as the team with just a week left for Pakistan’s all-important Test series against England.
Amir went off with what Mahmood said was a recurrence of a “chronic” left knee injury after a brief spell in Test debutants Ireland’s second innings after Pakistan enforced the follow-on.
It was a frustrating end to the day for Amir, with the 25-year-old having both Ed Joyce (39 not out) and captain William Porterfield (23 not out) dropped off his bowling in that 3.2 over burst before the openers took Ireland to 64 without loss at the close — still 116 runs behind Pakistan’s 310 for nine declared.
The first Test against England gets underway at Lord’s on May 24.
It was also at Lord’s where the now 26-year-old Amir’s cricket career almost came to an end following his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal during a 2010 Test against England.
Amir was given a jail sentence by an English court and a five-year ban by the International Cricket Council.
He made his return to the world stage two years ago, with Mahmood suggesting Amir’s lengthy time away from the game allied to the fact he had been involved in all three international formats — Tests, one-dayers and Twenty20s — since coming back had taken a toll on Amir, who last season helped Essex win English cricket’s first-class County Championship.
“Unfortunately, he came back after five years (out) and since he came back he has played every format for us,” said Mahmood, himself a former Pakistan pace bowling all-rounder.
Courtesy: NDTV
