Mohammad Amir, 28-year-old Pakistan pacer has stated that the cricketing stars of India and Pakistan should keep politics aside and play together in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Mohammad Amir made his debut in 2009 and played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 49 T20Is. But he was suspended from 2010-2015 for allegations of spot-fixing by bowling deliberate no-balls during a test match against England. He returned in January 2016 and played in 2019 World Cup finishing as Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker.
Mohammad Amir: Politics Should Be Kept Aside, And It Would Have Been Great To Bowl To Indian Star Batsmen Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma
In an interview with Cricket Pakistan on Wednesday (25 November), Mohammad Amir was asked if he would love bowling against Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the PSL.
“We have always said, as players, that cricket, or any other sport, and politics should be kept separate. I love challenges like bowling to top-notch batsmen and it would have been great to bowl to them [Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma],” Mohammad Amir replied.
The left-arm fast bowler added that it would benefit cricketers from both nations if they could compete in the world’s top cricket leagues.
“Be it the IPL or PSL, it would be beneficial for players, from Pakistan and India, playing in these competitions in terms of exposure and quality of cricket,” Mohammad Amir continued.
In August 2010, the English newspaper News of the World published allegations that Mohammad Amir and fellow bowler Mohammad Asif deliberately bowled no-balls during Pakistan’s 2010 tour of England in return for payment from a betting syndicate.
On September 2010 the International Cricket Council announced that they had suspended Mohammad Amir under the provisions of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. The statement from the ICC stated that the three players, including then skipper Salman Butt, were charged. On August 2015, Mohammad Amir was declared completely free to play all forms of cricket from September 2015.
Mohammad Amir Has Never Played In IPL
BCCI allowed cricketers from Pakistan to participate in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. Eleven cricketers, including Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, took part in the competition. However, Mohammad Amir has never gotten an opportunity to play in the league.
Only one former Pakistani cricketer, Azhar Mahmood, has played in the IPL after the BCCI banned them due to political tensions. It is important to note that Azhar Mahmood played for the Kings XI Punjab in 2012-13 and the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2015 under a British passport.
Azhar Mahmood previously signed with the defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) and had been released from his central contract. He played the last test in 2001 and last ODI in 2007.
Left-arm medium-pacer Sohail Tanvir was the first-ever Purple Cap winner of the Indian Premier League. His 6/14 against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is yet to be overhauled by any other bowler.