Former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja feels that the pressure on Mohammad Amir will be immense when he makes his international comeback in the upcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand.
Since his return to competitive cricket after the conclusion of his ban for his involvement in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, Amir has been in fine form and was justly rewarded when he was recalled to Pakistan’s T20 and ODI squads for New Zealand.
"I am not surprised once the cricket board had taken a policy decision to give Amir a second chance. But we have to see how he performs because there will be lot of pressure on him and everything he does will be scrutinized. We have to see what is his form in international cricket," Rameez said.
"The thing is that cricket has advanced a lot since he (Amir) last played in international cricket. ODIs and Twenty20 cricket have changed a lot and we have to see how he adapts to the changed scenario now.”
While he admitted that the reason for Amir’s rapid rise back into contention is his undeniable talent, he is surprised at the exclusion of Mohammad Irfan.
"I am surprised at Irfan not being in Twenty20 squad. I would pick him in both formats since he is a match winner," he said.
Although he had earlier strongly opposed Amir’s comeback with the other two players involved, it seems as though Rameez has changed his mind. A few months ago, he admitted that he didn't want the trio of Butt, Asif, and Amir taking part in the inaugural PSL and lambasted the PCB for giving them special treatment.
“I have solid views regarding this matter. The crime committed by them is unforgivable. I personally would never want them to be a part of the PSL as it is going to be extremely dangerous for the model of the event and image of Pakistan cricket,” the former player said.
“They get special treatment at the NCA,” he added. “They are provided with young players to train with, they get their clothes washed and have food at the academy. This is not acceptable.”
Afridi happy to have Amir back
"Happy to have Amir back in team," Afridi tweeted on Friday. "He told me truth first time I asked him in England. He admitted his mistake we should back him now. We now need to move on and I will back Amir and expect him to serve Pakistan cricket with total dedication and commitment.”
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