36 Tests of which only 7 in Asia but a bowling average of over 30

[Saj]

I was looking at Mohammad Amir's stats today and it was interesting to note that only 7 of his 36 Tests have been in Asia and despite this he averages only 3.30 wickets per Test match and has a bowling average of 30.47.

He has taken 118 wickets in 36 Test matches.

The breakdown of his Tests is as follows:

Sri Lanka 3
New Zealand 5
South Africa 3
West Indies 3
UAE 4
Ireland 1
England 12
Australia 5

Acceptable numbers?
Unlucky?
Underachiever?
Disappointment?

 

[squanchy]

That's not a bad average. But he isn't as quick and he no longer swings the ball as he used to. Many bowlers like Anderson, Broad, Ishanth, etc found form later into their careers. But their careers did not follow a downward trajectory like Amir's.

 

[KyoOne]

Before ban he used to swing it big, especially across the right-handers, but he used to be too short to often and he hardly hit the stumps. Also he had many near misses due to the line and length he adopted, many of his special spells did not result in wickets. Skill-wise, he was one of the best.

Post-ban, he was just a shade of himself, both with ball and bat. Unfortunately, he did not get a good bowling coach to sort his issues in both phases

 

[Saj]

Post-ban, he was just a shade of himself, both with ball and bat. Unfortunately, he did not get a good bowling coach to sort his issues in both phases.

The 5 year ban took its toll.

It was bound to and perhaps expectations were a little high.

He was never the same bowler, barring a few matches here and there.

 

[Shafi]

Amir was good and slightly better than Shahid Nazir and inferior to Zunaid Khan. He never had express pace and relied on swing. His arrogance and laziness were his downfall.

 

[adzzy786]

That's not a bad average. But he isn't as quick and he no longer swings the ball as he used to. Many bowlers like Anderson, Broad, Ishanth, etc found form later into their careers. But their careers did not follow a downward trajectory like Amir's.

It is a poor average from your main strike bowler who has played 25 out of his 36 tests in Aus,NZ, England,SA where there is plenty of assistance in the bowlers.

If he has played 60 matches and half were in Asia that maybe understandable but to play in those countries as a strike bowler in tests is poor

 

[Varun]

Keep in mind that the 30 average is despite that monster series in England in 2010.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Series by series stats here.

 

[liam26]

He quit Test Cricket at the right time as he knew bowling in UAE and then later in Pakistan would stretch his bowling average well into Mid 30s. Well played by Amir.

 

[Saj]

Some more numbers:

Only 4 5fers in 67 innings

A strike rate of 64

0 times 10 wickets in a match

 

[Markhor]

The 2010 tour of England I felt distorted peoples' expectations of Mohammad Amir. It was a damp, overcast summer where the Dukes swung loads. Having Asif at the other hand to create pressure was invaluable too, as opposed to being the spearhead.

He never faced the grind of a home Test series on flat wickets pre-ban, so the last images of Amir were him swinging the Dukes around corners leading to unrealistic expectations from him when he returned.

 

[Saj]

I've had this discussion with quite a few former and current Pakistan players and many felt that the biggest problem was that in Amir's 5 year absence the PCB failed to really groom any successors to Amir and the guys that they brought in weren't really very consistent or dynamic.

I mean the likes of Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan and others hardly set the world on fire while Amir was banned and that meant that he really just walked back into the Pakistan Test side without any competition or trouble.

If the situation had been different and Pakistan's pace bowlers in Test cricket had been firing on all cylinders, we may have seen a different Amir.

 

[Savak]

I've had this discussion with quite a few former and current Pakistan players and many felt that the biggest problem was that in Amir's 5 year absence the PCB failed to really groom any successors to Amir and the guys that they brought in weren't really very consistent or dynamic.

I mean the likes of Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan and others hardly set the world on fire while Amir was banned and that meant that he really just walked back into the Pakistan Test side without any competition or trouble.

If the situation had been different and Pakistan's pace bowlers in Test cricket had been firing on all cylinders, we may have seen a different Amir.

Lol what did Amir do to set the world on fire in test cricket apart from that 2010 England tour. I have not seen a more over rated bowler in my life. He is no better than the likes of Rahat Ali, Wahab etc

 

[cricketAXEpert]

I've had this discussion with quite a few former and current Pakistan players and many felt that the biggest problem was that in Amir's 5 year absence the PCB failed to really groom any successors to Amir and the guys that they brought in weren't really very consistent or dynamic.

I mean the likes of Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan and others hardly set the world on fire while Amir was banned and that meant that he really just walked back into the Pakistan Test side without any competition or trouble.

If the situation had been different and Pakistan's pace bowlers in Test cricket had been firing on all cylinders, we may have seen a different Amir.

Junaid Khan was the spearhead then & he had all the promise. unfortunately he got injured and was not his former self.

 

[volcyz]

Overrated bowler who is not even Shaheens level

 

[Savak]

Imran Khan was out of the game injured for 3 years when he was in his 30's but he came back being the same effective bowler as he used to be and needed only a few games before getting back into the swing of things.

The 5 year absence excuse is laughable. Had Amir not been banned, his ordinary performances would have rendered him being treated like another Rahat Ali or he would have been the youngest pacer in the world to retire from test cricket to focus on odis and the T20 format

 

[Hasan123]

This was our so called best bowler for years. Look at these average numbers lol . Our bowling is so overrated. South Africa and Australia have bigger rights to say they are land of fast bowling. New Zealand and England produce better bowlers these days than what we are producing as well.

 

[Saj]

Lol what did Amir do to set the world on fire in test cricket apart from that 2010 England tour. I have not seen a more over rated bowler in my life. He is no better than the likes of Rahat Ali, Wahab etc

And that's the point you are missing.

None grasped the opportunity when Amir was banned.

 

[Phantom Menace]

It is a pretty solid record but it under delivers for the hype he received and the potential he had. It is obviously not the record of a spearhead bowler of a good bowling attack, but it would be a good record for the 3rd best bowler in a good bowling attack.