By Saj Sadiq
Mohammad Aamer, the 23-year-old fast-bowler, was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) almost five years ago for his role in the infamous spot-fixing scandal in England in 2010. Taking advantage of a special dispensation which allows Aamer to take part in domestic cricket before the expiry of his ban in September 2015, the fast-bowler has been busy trying to regain his form by playing in a Grade II tournament as well as in the recently concluded Super 8 Twenty20 tournament, where some of his deliveries brought back memories of a time when this precocious talent was considered as one of the best bowlers in the world.
With a wiser head and more maturity in his demeanour, the future seems to hold a lot of promise for the young fast bowler with return to international cricket a realistic possibility. For the moment, Aamer is intent on achieving his short term goals of excelling in domestic cricket, concentrating on fitness, and training as he stated recently in an interview with PakPassion.net. READ: Mohammad Aamer should have been banned for life: Javed Miandad
“My immediate focus is simply to prepare for the First-Class season ahead and to leave the decisions for any recall to international cricket in the hands of the selectors,” he said. READ: Mohammad Aamer backs jail-term for match-fixing: Cricket world can take cue from New Zealand
The move to First-Class cricket which forms the basis for selection in Pakistan national team is an important one, and Aamer has taken an important step in the right direction by signing up for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for the upcoming domestic season.
Speaking exclusively to PakPassion.net, the head coach of SSGC, the former Pakistan cricketer Atiq-uz-Zaman, who is a Master Coach in general sports and is an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Level 3 qualified coach explained the significance of Aamer’s inclusion in his squad.
“It is indeed a pleasure to have someone so talented like Aamer as part of the SSGC squad. Aamer has shown in his recent performances that he still has the spark in him which made him the most talked about talent a few years ago, and we are hoping that he will be able to reignite his form during his stay with us.” READ: Mohammad Aamer’s return will be an encouraging precedent in international cricket
Uz-Zaman continued, “[It is just] Not only me, but his team mates at SSGC will be looking forward to working with someone as naturally gifted as Aamer. I feel that we at SSGC can help him get back to his best and hopefully help him earn an international recall. I persuaded Aamer that this would be the right move for him and that he would get the opportunity to work with some of the best coaching staff in Pakistan. He would be a part of a very good set-up and environment. We are also in negotiations with a current, very experienced Pakistan international player and hope to finalise that signing in the coming weeks.”
The Pakistan fast-bowler is not the only big name who will be appearing in SSGC colours in the upcoming First-Class season. Uz-Zaman, who is currently coaching Lancashire Under 11s also confirmed that Umar Amin as well as the talented Babar Azam and Ali Asad will also be featuring soon for the SSGC team.
“I am excited and looking forward to working with Babar Azam, Ali Asad and Umar Amin and hope that their talent and in Umar’s case his international experience will take this team to greater heights. I have heard great things about Babar Azam and Ali Asad and hopefully we can nurture and improve two of Pakistan’s best young cricketers,” he stated.
Whilst SSGC will undoubtedly benefit from a star-studded line-up, especially for someone like Aamer who is once again making his way towards the highest level of cricket, playing for SSGC will be significant step in the right direction. The fast-bowler did impress during the Super 8 T20 tournament but playing in a First-Class context presents an ideal opportunity to show Pakistan selectors that he is still capable of performing at this level. READ: Mohammad Aamer could feature in Big Bash League 2015
This is a fact that Aamer stressed in remarks earlier. “To say that I am looking forward to playing for SSGC would be an understatement. I am simply delighted at being given the chance to play at this level and I consider myself fortunate to have been considered for this role. My immediate goal is to perform to the best of my abilities and help my team.”
He added, “Being asked to play for SSGC not only provides me with stability and a platform for future improvement, it will also be a great opportunity to play alongside the likes of players like Umar Amin, Babar Azam, as well as the many other talented players in the SSGC squad.”
(Saj Sadiq is Senior Editor at PakPassion.net, from where the above article has been reproduced. He can be followed on Twitter at @Saj_PakPassion)
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