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Former Pakistan batter Fawad Alam has praised Quetta Gladiators’ pacer Mohammad Amir for his skill and cricketing intelligence, placing him among the best pacers Pakistan has produced after the early 2000s era.
Speaking on a private TV show after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 clash between the Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, Fawad was asked if Amir is better than Pakistan’s current crop of fast bowlers. He didn’t hesitate to put Amir in a different league.
“As far as Amir’s ability is concerned, there’s no comparison. He is one of the best and the smartest bowlers we have had [in a long time],” Fawad said.
Fawad drew parallels between Amir and some of Pakistan’s finest pacers of the past two decades.
“After Mohammad Asif — I mean after the early 2000s when we had big names — the two premier pacers we had were Asif and then Mohammad Amir,” he explained.
According to Fawad Alam, while many bowlers have skill, Amir’s intelligence sets him apart.
“I believe after Amir, we did not get many smarter bowlers. Skill is something every player who represents Pakistan has. But intelligence — that’s rare,” he said.
Highlighting Amir’s sharp cricketing mind, Fawad pointed towards his ability to read batters, especially someone of Babar Azam’s calibre.
“Mohammad Amir knew exactly how to get Babar Azam out, and you can clearly see the pressure Babar feels when facing him,” he remarked.
He elaborated on the mutual respect between top-level players.
“When a batter knows he’s up against a smart bowler, he’s aware that the bowler understands his weaknesses. And Amir makes full use of a batter’s shortcomings,” Fawad Alam added.
He concluded by reiterating his admiration for Amir’s bowling smarts. “The more you talk about Amir’s skill and intelligence, the less it feels like enough,” he said.
It’s worth noting that Mohammad Amir has dismissed Babar Azam twice in the tournament so far — first for a golden duck and then for just 12 runs in their latest encounter on Sunday night.
READ: Former New Zealand captain comments on strike rate criticism of Babar, Rizwan
