Mohammad Amir’s career was shortened by a 3 quicks strategy

[Junaids]

As expected, Mickey Arthur has today confirmed that:

1. Mohammad Amir’s body struggled to play Tests after a five year layoff.

2. He had had a secret “Play Tests Outside Asia Only” deal for the last year.

3. He is Pakistan’s most skilled bowler.

I agree with those points, but I want to go a step further. This was not a failure by Amir to manage his workload.

This was a failure by Misbah, Sarfraz and Mickey to get the most out of their best bowler. And this is how they failed:

1. Pakistan played 17 Tests in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa from July 2016 to February 2019.

2. In 13 of those 17 Tests, Pakistan failed to select a fourth quick bowler. The three main quicks were overbowled to the point of exhaustion - Sohail Khan took 1 second innings wicket in 4 innings!

3. Misbah and Sarfraz persisted in trying to use Yasir Shah to block up one end in those Tests.They already had only three quicks to rotate at one end, but having Yasir Shah at the other end meant that Amir only got a 3 minute break between overs.

The consequences were predictable. Amir bowled 20 overs per day at 132K when he could have bowled 15 overs per day at 137 K.

And they burned him out.

It doesn’t matter if your fourth quick is really mediocre like Mitchell Marsh or Faheem Ashraf. Pakistan could and should have got another 3-5 years worth of away Tests out of Mohammad Amir, and his retirement is a direct consequence of overbowling him.

 

[Pakhs]

Mostly rubbish - his career was shortened due to not looking after himself properly for 5 years. 5 years is too long for professional highest level athlete to sit at home and do just general light bowling and gym and expect to come back at the same physical level ability wise.

 

[RickyG]

It might have something to do with spot fixing or 10k GBP rather than how he was managed.

 

[Chokli]

It might have something to do with spot fixing or 10k GBP rather than how he was managed.

10K? That's it?

 

[sjahmed23]

None of the Pakistani fast bowlers will last very long if they keep playing tests in Dubai.

 

[Hasan123]

Even if PCB played Junaids teams we still don't win 10 out of those tests he is referring to.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

OP is absolutely right. Going into test matches with only 4 bowlers is in itself a very defensive strategy.

Reason was simple: When you have the likes of Hafeez, Shan Masood and assorted rotating line of batsmen who were walking wickets, and later Shafiq and Azhar joined the procession as well, what would you do?

Even so, Pakistan is a defensive test team and it pays for it by making its fast bowlers die.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Utterly wrong, attempt to make excuses in the OP.

His career was shortened by his:

1. Being caught for a condemnable act, being jailed and then banned for it
2. As per reports, his inability to work hard to remain fit (it's hard to do it if you're playing, but hey if you want to make it at international levels you find a way)
3. Lack of heart,

End this handwringing, and what could have been, he performed exactly how he should have.

 

[Junaids]

Utterly wrong, attempt to make excuses in the OP.

His career was shortened by his:

1. Being caught for a condemnable act, being jailed and then banned for it
2. As per reports, his inability to work hard to remain fit (it's hard to do it if you're playing, but hey if you want to make it at international levels you find a way)
3. Lack of heart,

End this handwringing, and what could have been, he performed exactly how he should have.

You clearly haven’t read the ICC Tribunal Report or seen the News of the World photos of the fix (including a current Pakistan fast bowler wearing a jacket containing £5000 of the fixer’s money).

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

You clearly haven’t read the ICC Tribunal Report or seen the News of the World photos of the fix (including a current Pakistan fast bowler wearing a jacket containing £5000 of the fixer’s money).

Yeah, blame something else or some else and that reference to Wahab is not germane. It's his own fault Amir is where he is. He messed up, paid the price. That's all there is to it.