Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector and Test cricketer Salahuddin Sallu didn’t seem to be impressed at all with country’s current left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who claimed his career-best in Tests after bagging six wickets for conceding 44 runs, in 26 overs during the first ongoing Test of the three-match series against West Indies at Kingston in Jamaica.
The 70-year-old former Test cricketer Salahuddin stated that it was Amir’s personal achievement rather than in team’s cause in general.
“[Mohammad] Amir did well bagging five wickets for himself but they were of little advantage for the team,” Salahuddin was quoted as saying by Express Tribune.
The 25-year-old Punjab-born bowler Amir claimed a five-wicket haul which was also his first after returning to the international scene particularly in the longer version of the game.
Salahuddin revealed that Pakistan bowlers didn’t fire-up after the West Indies were struggling at 71 for five, before being bundled out for 286, following gritty fifties from Roston Chase, skipper Jason Holder and wicket-keeper batsman Shane Dowrich.
“However, once the hard work was done and the West Indies were reeling at 71-5, the bowlers were unable to keep the same pressure on the tail-enders and allowed them to score runs easily. This was pure failure of our bowlers,” Salahuddin added.
Earlier, Amir was under some sort of a pressure while going through a poor form.
Salahuddin further opined the performance might see fast bowler in the good books of Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur, but pacer struck too late after hosts post a decent total on board as visitors’ bowlers failed to capitalise.
“Amir took the last two wickets but they were more useful for him than the team. His strikes came in so late that the West Indies had already put together a decent total by then and were out of the woods,” Salahuddin further said.
Salahuddin also took a dig at the visitors’ slow bowlers, who according to him didn’t hold their line and the length. He has also cautioned Pakistan batsmen that Windies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo has the capability to take wickets.
“The West Indians are weak against spinners so it’s baffling how we couldn’t trouble them with our spin options,” Salahuddin concluded.
Moreover, Salahuddin added that visitors have underestimated the lower batting order of the West Indies while adding the unit is also aware of the hosts’ bowlers before declaring ‘decent’ batting line-up is at the helm for Pakistan.
While playing his 26th Test, Amir has bagged 87 wickets at an average of 31.90 so far.