Pakistan vs West Indies 2016: Mohammad Amir flies back to Lahore, to skip third ODI against West Indies

Mohammad Amir, who has been one of the key players for Pakistan over the past few months, will skip the third and final ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday. The 24-year old flew back to Lahore on Tuesday to attend his ailing mother.

Pakistan are currently playing a 3-match ODI series against West Indies in the United Arab Emirates. Having already won the T20 series by whitewashing the Caribbeans 3-0, the Pakistanis have already won two of the three ODIs so far.

The Pakistan Cricket Board understood the situation and allowed the player to fly back home at once. “The team management has allowed Amir to return home to attend to his mother who is seriously ill,” the PCB said in a statement.

Pakistan’s position in the tournament is very strong and the players look visibly confident after completing a whitewash in three T20Is and winning the ODI series with two wins out of two so far. They will be going into the third ODI with a strong intent to win the series 3-0. However, they might find it a bit difficult without the services of Amir.

West Indies are yet to win a match in the on-going series against Pakistan in the UAE. The visitors lost the first ODI in Sharjah by 110 runs and the second ODI by 58 runs at the same venue.

With the absence of Amir and a change in venue, the third ODI may well be their best chance to get a win under their belt before the start of the Test series. The third ODI will be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Amir took a total of two wickets in the first two ODIs in Sharjah, however, he made it difficult for the West Indian batsmen to score off him.

Earlier the pacer had missed the first two T20Is, which were played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as he joined the Pakistan team late due to his wedding in Lahore. Pakistan also have fast bowlers Rahat Ali and Sohail Khan in the squad, one of whom is likely to take Amir’s place on Wednesday.

If Amir’s stay in Lahore is prolonged, he may not be able to play for Pakistan in the three-match Test series also. The first test match is at Dubai International Cricket Stadium from 13^th to 17^th October.