Mickey Arthur expresses his concern over Mohammad Amir's form in the ODIs

One of Pakistan’s ace fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir has been showcasing evident signs of a drop in form and that has caused an alarming situation especially with the ICC Cricket World Cup closing in. The mega event which will start on May 30 in England and Wales will see Pakistan playing their opening fixture against the Windies in Nottingham, on the next day.

Amir has been grappling to bag wickets regularly and his poor form can be reflected in his ODI numbers. In 14 matches in the 50-over format since the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final in June, the 26-year-old has bagged only five wickets. The situation is alarming, to say the least.

Even in the ongoing series against a touring Aussie side, Amir went for 59 runs in his nine wicket-less overs in the first ODI. He was eventually dropped from the playing XI for the second match that was played on Sunday. The hosts, led by captain Shoaib Malik, lost both games to Australia.

Amidst concerns, Umar Akmal’s form is a plus

In the light of this alarming issue, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur has conceded that the pace spearhead Mohammad Amir’s form has been an upset in the team mix especially as the ICC’s big event is approaching. However, the Pakistan head coach is nothing but confident that the left-arm pacer has it all in him to bounce back right ahead of the World Cup. 

“Yes, Amir’s form is a worry and nobody is more worried than Amir. I still think he is an incredibly skilled bowler and has all the attributes to be successful. He has got a big match temperament and we will see how we use him going forward,” Arthur said ahead of the third ODI against Australia.

Amidst Amir’s concerns, Arthur also acknowledged that the evoked batsman Umar Akmal, who has scored 49 and 16 in the two matches against Australia, is improving and that’s a good sign. “Discipline-wise, there is a change, definitely,” the coach replied when asked about Umar’s discipline. The fitness has got better but has work to do in fitness. The fitness test is on 14 April and to be eligible to go for the World Cup, you need to pass that fitness test,” he further added.

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